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U.vi,. :i u. L..wi.d (Billy) in 1905 




Seven gold medals pinned on Ralph O. Bates (I 
General Garfield in 1868 



BILLY AND DICK 

FROM 

Andersonville Prison 

TO THE 

White House 

BY 

RALPH O. BATES 

(BILLY) ' 

The Most Chaste and Entertaining Story before the American People. 
Endorsed by Universities, Colleges. Schools, the Press, Pulpit and the People 
Everywhere. 

PRESS 
SENTINEL PUB. CO.. SANTA CRUZ. CAL 



e 



^.^' 



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Copyright, 1910, 
BY ROZELLA E. BATES 



CCU2.61970 



TESTIMONIALS. 



I am personally acquainted with Ralph 0. Bates, 
known as Billy. We lived in the same town in 
boyhood, and I know he is the man he represents 
himself to be. — William H. Woodruff, Cleveland, 
Ohio, Feb. 18, ]897. 

Comrade Ralph 0. Bates (Billy) and myself 
were born and raised in the same neighborhood; 
I am well acquainted with all his family. The 
story of "Billy and Dick" is the uncolored trutli. 
That he is the same Billy can be proven by many 
living witnesses in Richmond County, Ohio — D. K. 
Charles, M. D., Philomath, Oregon, Jan. 27, 1891. 

Ralph 0. Bates was in Troop H and I in Troop 
E of the same regiment. We were from the same 
town and I knew his family. He is the Billy of 
"Billy and Dick from Andersonville Prison to the 
White House." — Louis Geoch, Abilene, Kansas, 
April 2, 1902. 

I have known Ralph 0. Bates for many years, 
having enlisted from my native county. I can 
testify that he is the man he represents himself 
to be and that his story is true. — P. C. Richardson, 
Seattle, Washington, June 1, 1892. 

The query in the minds of many who have 
heard this story was "Is this really the man?" 



This, the editor of this paper can answer affirma- 
tively. The editor knows Ralph 0. Bates per- 
sonally and has possession of the farm cleared up 
and improved by Mr. Bates and his father. — St. 
Joseph (Mich.) Press, Sept. 28, 1895. 

I enlisted Ralph 0. Bates in the Ninth Ohio Cav- 
alry in 1862. In 1893 we met at Portland, Oregon, 
where Bates recognized me as his First Lieutenant 
and recruiting officer; again after many years we 
met by chance, at Soquel, Cal., and Dec. 27, 1909, 
Ralph 0. Bates departed from this life at my 
Sanitarium, four miles from Santa Cruz. — James 
Beechler, M. D., Soquel, California, Jan. 1, 1910. 



PREFACE. 



In the winter of 1868 Ralph 0. Bates was called 
from college, at Ann Arbor, Mich., by General G^-- 
field to give his first lecture, "From Andersonville 
Prison, Georgia, to the White House," in the old 
gray stone church, on the south side of the square 
in Cleveland, Ohio. At the close of the lecture 
General Garfield stepped forward and pinned on 
"Billy" seven gold medals of the seven prisons 
he had passed through, and asked Billy to promise 
to spend his life telling that story to the coming 
generations, which Billy has done. 

It was his custom, in lecturing to the schools 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to ask the chil- 
dren to write essays, or compositions, on his lec- 
ture, which was the true story of his own life 
while a soldier boy from 1861 to 1865. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The personal adventures of heroic men have 
challenged the admiration of every age and race. 
From the fabled siege of Troy, made classical by 
blind old Homer, to the deadlier struggles of the 
Great Rebellion, remembered by thousands of 
living men, the national literature of every people 
has been greatly swelled and permanently colored 
by the deeds of daring and glorious achievements 
of illustrious men and noble women. 

But the brilliant successes of military chieftains 
formally recorded in the history and biography 
of the times, forms but a small part of the real 
history attending these events. The unwritten 
history of every warlike race has been rich in 
tradition, song and story, and we of the nineteenth 
century have but substituted national ''Camp 
fires ' ' and soldiers ' newspapers for the wandering 
minstrelsy and Palmer's stories of the Crusaders, 
and later ages. 

And so in presenting this volume to the public, 
instead of reciting the daring gallantry of indi- 
vidual feats or wider successes of modern arms 
or generalship, I shall rather confine myself to 
the heroism of individual endurance and facing 
of perils by flood and field, which never before 
found their way into print. But these, and such as 
these, are a very important part of that history 
yet to be written, revealing the temper of our 



people through all those troublesome times. I 
shall give you a sombre chapter. Its colors may 
be subdued and monotonous, or may become black 
or lurid, as events sweep across my recollection. 

But this chapter belongs to the history of my 
country, however shameful it may be. It belongs 
also to the history of that Grand Army of the 
Republic — a part of which I was— that suppressed 
the greatest rebellion which ever rose among 
English-speaking people; carried the Stars and 
Stripes as an emblem of Constitutional liberty 
from ocean to ocean; abolished our National curse 
(that sum of all villainies, African slavery), and 
made us in fact what we had only been in theory 
—a free and united people. 

In doing this I shall tell you a plain, unvar- 
nished tale. I shall make no effort to weave you 
a pretty story, but shall attempt to give you the 
events and conversations precisely as they oc- 
curred. I shall avoid all tricks of rhetoric, for 
which I have no taste, and essay no brilliant wit, 
for which I have little capacity. ' ' With charity 
for all and with malice toward none," as Lincoln 
said, I shall truthfully tell you a part of what 
befell me during my confinement and escape from 
the military prison at Andersonville. 



Billy and Dick 



CHAPTER I. 



Enlisted and a Prisoner. 

m ENLISTED Jinie 7, 1862, a private in Troop 
H, Ninth Ohio Cavahy, Captain Wil- 
liam H. Stowe, at Defiance, Ohio, and was 
mustered into the United States service at Camp 
Dennison, near Cincinnati, June 29, 1862. "We 
were armed and mounted there, given an eight- 
day furlough to visit our homes ; returned to cami) 
at the end of that time: moved across the Ohio 
River to Covington, Kentucky, for a few days, 
and were transported thence to Lexington, Ken- 
tucky, all within about one month. 

At the outset of the Great Rebellion, Kentucky 
resolved to maintain a position of armed neutral- 
ity. Many of her political leaders were strongly 
pronounced Union men, but the masses of her 
white population secretly sympathized with the 
Confederate government, and many thousands of 
her sons, gallantly but mistakenly, marched off 
to the sound of the Southern fife and drum, and 
involved their commonwealth in a fratricidal 
struggle for State and National supremacy. 
Friends and neiarhbors were arraved against each 



10 BILLY AND DICK. 

other. Fathers, sons and brothers often engaged 
in mortal combat in the contending hosts for the 
occupancy of this ''dark and bloody ground" 
until bushwhacking and all the horrible attend- 
ants of partisan warfare reached a point of deadly 
malignity never surpassed in the history of civil- 
ized people. 

As a consequence of this condition, the Federal 
cavalry was kept constantly in motion, patroling 
the country to prevent rebel raids from the south 
and east, to put an end to rebel recruiting within 
their reach, and to assist in preserving civil law 
and order, and in collecting for Federal use forage, 
grain, live stock and all materials of war. 

Our headquarters were first at Bedstone Hail, 
near Lexington, where we were joined in the latter 
part of August by the Tenth Ohio and Second In- 
diana cavalry regiments under Colonel Walter 
Brown and Colonel Chase, the whole commanded 
by Colonel Chase as ranking officer. 

We scouted eastward some distance, south to 
Cumberland Gap and west as far as Mammoth 
Cave. General Kirby Smith was making his first 
raids on Kentucky soil and we were riding day 
and night repelling these, pursuing his routed 
followers, and conveying captured supplies on 
border ground back to the government depots. 
This work was continued week after week until 
the first of November. By this time our opera- 
tions had been extended beyond Policy's Springs 
into Policy's Valley, on the Virginia side of the 
line, south of Cumberland Gap, and Kirby Smitli 



ENLISTED AND A PRISONER. 11 

was driven back to Jones ville and Bristol, 
Tennessee. 

The second week in November, Troops C 
and H of the Ninth Ohio, got into their first 
serious engagement. We had been a day's march 
sonth of the gap in Polley's Valley; had collected 
a large supply of grain, horses and cattle; were 
returning rich in the spoils of war; had gone into 
camp squarely in Cumberland Gap— rather on 
the south side of the celebrated pass — and sup- 
posed all danger from that excursion practically 
ended. I was on picket in the roadway the first 
watch; had my relief during the middle of the 
night for rest and sleep, and was called out and 
posted for the morning watch wholly unconscious 
of the storm of sudden battle, captivity and death 
so soon to burst upon our little band. My horse 
had shown some little imeasiness for quite awhile 
but my first sense of danger was at early dawn 
when six dismounted rebel cavalrymen rose to 
their feet from behind some immense boulders by 
the roadside, and with leveled carbines, yelled: 
"Dismount and throw down your gun, you in- 
fernal Yankee!" 

They had left their horses on the other side of. 
the divide, and had scrambled over the summit 
and hid among the rocks and laurel bushes, wait- 
ing for daylight to capture our outposts and sui'- 
prise our whole command. As none of the Con- 
federate soldiers were fifty feet distant, resistance 
was useless. I had barely time to discharge my 
carbine as a signal of alarm, before I was sur- 
rounded and rushed off to the rebel rear. 



12 BILLY AN DICK. 

A general engagement ensued between our two 
troops and five troops of rebel cavalry, the 
latter having the advantage of skirmishers 
and sharpshooters among the brush and rocks on 
the mountain side. Our little force had no pro- 
tection, and were mainly shot down or captured 
in the open roadway. 

In the meantime I was taken in charge by 
Sergeant William Denning, Troop C, Eleventh 
Virginia Cavalry, and marched back six miles to 
Maple Mills, where there were three troops of 
Tennessee cavalry lying in camp. As 1 was the 
first prisoner taken back, 1 was closely questioned 
as to the strength of our command, and taken to 
task severely for carrying war into their borders. 
Some of my captors were inclined to be saucy and 
insulting, but on the whole my treatment was 
fairly considerate. Sergeant Denning stood my 
fast friend from the moment of capture on the 
morning of November 14th until he turned me 
over to the Provost Guard at Bristol, Tenn., Nov. 
27th. I was never able to trace him afterward, 
but have paid tearful tribute to his innate noble- 
ness of character a thousand times since that 
eventful period. He was the only man of educa- 
tion and intelligence among my captors. 

On December 1st I and about three hundred 
other prisoners, embracing all nationalities and 
conditions in life, were loaded into cars and 
started for Eichmond. A large proportion of 
these were East Tennessee conscripts and de- 
serters from the Southern army, who had been 
captured in the mountains, and were now being 



ENLISTED AND A PRISONER. 13 

sent to Castle Thunder. These were generally 
treated worse than the Union prisoners, if such a 
thing were possible. 

At Roanoke, near Lynchburg, we had a good 
breakfast. On reaching Appomattox station, a 
mile south of the celebrated court house, we went 
into camp in the woods for the night. Here we 
had our first experience in cooking our own hoe 
cakes. Lieutenant Andrew Carlin of the Tenth 
Ohio Cavalry, slept with me that night on the 
bare ground, without blankets or overcoats, and 
with only the sky for covering. 

Next morning we were supplied with two days ' 
cooked rations of corn-bread, hardtack and meat 
(but no coffee), were reloaded in the cars and 
started on our way. 

We arrived at Richmond on the 14th of Decem- 
ber, 1862, and were marched to Castle Thunder, 
where we were locked up with the conscripts and 
kept till next da}'. 

On the forenoon of the 15th the privates among 
the Union prisoners were singled out and marched 
to Libby prison and were enrolled, described and 
registered by name, company, regiment and State. 

My comrades were by this time cut down to 
thirty-three in number, all substantially strangers 
to each other. The officers were kept in Castle 
Thunder, and this was my last parting with 
Lieutenant Carlin. His friends in Toledo and 
Monroeville, Ohio, made continuous inquiry for 
him for years during and after the war, and 
came to see me, hoping to obtain some clew 
to his fate, but he disappeared from the knowl- 



14 BILLY AND DICK. 

edge of the world from the minute of my last grasp 
of his manly young hand. He was doubtless shot 
down at some "deadline," starved to death by 
some merciless jailor, or in some way known so 
well to such miscreants, sent to his unknown 
grave to await the sound of the "assembly" in the 
last day. 

' ' Hap 'ly thistles, blue and red, 
Bloom above his lowly bed." 

Arriving at Libby we were put into the base- 
ment or cellar (nearly half under ground) in the 
southwest corner of the building — a place about 
twenty feet square. Many had preceded us there, 
so we were crowded past endurance. We could 
barely all lie down at once. 

Our stay there was limited to two nights, when 
we were moved to the first floor proper of the 
prison, and subjected to rigorous search by Major 
Turner, who afterwards became so infamous. He 
took from us all our money, knives, combs, 
watches, keepsakes, including articles of insig- 
nificant value, coolly pocketing the money and 
valuable articles. The remainder were thrown 
into a common pile and we never knew what be- 
came of them. 

While at Eichmond we had coffee, pork and 
hardtack served to us in abundance as cooked 
rations, on tin plates, through the prison doors. 
As fast as the men received their plates they made 
way for others, ate their rations in the rear and 
then passed out the tin plates. But we parted 
witli all such luxuries as tin plates when we left 



HARDSHIPS BEGIN. 15 

Eiclimond, and never had one again during tlio 
balance of our imprisonment. 

On' the 22d of December about fifty of us were 
moved across the street into the Pemberton build- 
ing, under the pretense that they were preparing 
for our exchange. We remained in this prison 
till January 3d, 1863, when sixteen of us were sent 
b}^ rail to Danville, Virginia, and were five days 
making the trip. 

We arrived at Danville early in the morning, 
and were put into cellars and stores till evening, 
and were started at night, three hundred strong, 
for Wilmington, North Carolina — to be ex- 
changed. 

On arriving at Salisbury about half our number 
were taken out of the cars and sent to the State 
Insane Asylum, which had been converted into a 
military prison. At that time there were about 
fifteen hundred prisoners confined there. Colonel 
Stone was in command. He was a coarse, com- 
mon, rough man, and an old slave driver. Still 
our prison fare was not so bad. We had enough 
bread and meat to sustain life comfortably. 

But we were not allowed a long rest here, but 
like poor Joe in Bleak House, were ordered to 
move on. This time it was to Wilmington, and 
of course to be exchanged. 



16 BILLY AND DICK. 



CHAPTER II. 



Hardships Begin. 



mWO hundred and fifty of us arrived at Wil- 
mington by one train and were put into the 
new camjj just completed on the Cape Fear 
River, near the depot. The camp covered seven 
acres and contained mostly conscripts — unfortu- 
nates; no tents; no huts; no shelter of any kind. 
Our only fuel was the chips made in building the 
stockade. 

Up to this time our health had been good. But 
here our real privations began. Here for the first 
time we received our bread rations in coarse, un- 
sifted cornmeal — one pint in the morning, one 
at noon and one at night. We also had one-half 
pound of smoked beef (or mule meat) issued with 
each ration of meal. The bread ration was suffi- 
cient in quantity, but very unpalatable, and the 
meat could only be eaten by starving men. 

W^e were kept here about twelve days, which 
brought us to about February 1st, but from this 
time on my chronology becomes uncertain — no 
newspaper — no intercourse with outsiders— iio 
means of easily noting the passage of time — but 
want, cold, hunger and disease to continually dis- 
tract and craze us. 

Other prisoners were arriving frequently, and 
among the last were some New Jersey troops in 
comparatively fine condition. They had nice, 
new, clean clothes; were jaunty and hopeful in 



HARDSHIPS BEGIN. 17 

appearance; had been from liome but a short time; 
were captured by the first enemies they encoun- 
tered, and had never participated in anything? 
approaching a battle. They were soon dubbed 
"Tenderfeet," "Pilgrims," etc., and were prob- 
ably subjected to some undeserved, contemptuous 
treatment by some of us. This ended in some of 
tlieir finery being stolen one night, and a coni- 
plaint being made to Lieutenant Donnelly, in com- 
mand of the prison. 

Donnelly was a young officer with little experi 
ence in dealing with men; a conceited martinet in 
the matter of discipline; full of bitterness toward 
all Union men; and withal very proud of his ex- 
alted position as post-commandant. The next 
morning after these complaints were made to hi\ii 
by the young ' ' tenderfoot-pilgrims, ' ' he came into 
camp swelling with wrath and secretly pleased 
with an opportunity of showing his authority, and 
gratifying his malignant dis])osition toward the 
Union prisoners. Every man in the camp was 
ordered to fall into line. When this was done he 
ordered every prisoner to strip off all his clothing 
excepting his pants and shirt; hats, caps, boots 
and shoes, coats, and jackets were thrown into 
piles and carried away by the guards. My clothing, 
although considerably soiled, was still whole, ser- 
viceable and warm. My boots were an excellent 
pair, nearly new, given to me by my father when 
I left home. I had saved them carefully for sev- 
eral months and only commenced wearing them 
about the time of my capture. But they went with 



18 BILLY AND DICK. 

tlie others and I was left standing with a pair of 
ragged socks on my feet. 

As soon as the men began to comprehend that 
Lieutenant Donnelly intended to rob them of their 
clothing, entreaties, arguments and expostulations 
were made by all; but he would not listen to a 
word. He said he was not there to argue the 
matter nor to give a reason for his actions. Every 
man should be stripped of his clothing. If he 
surrendered it peaceably, all right. If not it would 
be torn from his back by force and the grumbler 
be taught a lesson he would not soon forget. The 
armed guards were ordered up in force, cannon 
planted to sweep the camp, and the work of rob- 
bery went on till every prisoner was left nearly 
naked, in midwinter, without house, hut, tent 
or fire; and with nothing but shirt and pants to 
protect him by day or night from the cold winds, 
rains, snow and sleet of that miserable region. 
Force compelled dumb submission. 

Standing next to me in line was a young Irish- 
man whom I afterwards learned to be Richard 
King, Company B, Second Pennsylvania Reserves, 
whose flashing eye and flushing face showed good 
blood. The veins in his face and forehead swelled 
near to bursting, the muscles of his neck and jaws 
rose into corded knots, his breahting was heavy 
and stentorious, his teeth clenched, and the whole 
man became a perfect picture of helpless passion. 
He finally threw his clothing on the ground and 
putting his foot on them said he didn't want any 
rebel to wear them. 

Lieutenant Donnellv came rushing towards 



HARDSfflPS BEGIN. 19 

him with a drawn sword and stopping squarely 
in front of him began to glare at him from 
head to foot; called him every vile name 
which an enraged ruffian could command, and 
roared out volley after volley of the most 
blasphemous oaths which ever fell from mortal 
lip. He finally caught sight of a Union rosette 
of red, white and blue ribbon, which King 
had worn under his jacket, pinned to his shirt, 
in the center of which was a small tin- 
type picture of his mother and sister. The sight 
of this rosette was worse than a red flag to a mad 
bull. Donnelly sprang forward, snatched it from 
King's breast, threw it on the ground and stamped 
it to atoms with his heel. 

King stood for an instant as if in a dream, a 
picture of grief, with a faraway look, and said in 
a low, trembling voice, and eyes full of tears: 

"I don't care anything about my clothes, nor 
so much about the poor little rosette, but you 
have dishonored the image of my mother and 
sister— dearer to me than my life, and — and^and 

yi 

The next instant the whole man was trans- 
formed into a flaming, avenging Nemesis. He 
sprang at Donnelly like a raging wild beast and 
with one blow sent the cowardly rascal rolling 
and sprawling on the ground, in the presence of 
his whole command. 

Of what occurred immediately afterward I 
have but a partial recollection. As the gathering 
storms and cyclones of our great plains often rise 
slowly and majestically from the horizon to the 



20 BILLY AND DICK. 

zenith, before they bnrst upon the earth and 
sweep every obstacle before them, so the hum and 
roar of resistance to tyranny came swelling slowly 
down the line for a few seconds of time, 
and then the long pent-up cyclone of 
human passion burst from the manly, 
patriotic heart of each suffering, insulted 
and downtrodden prisoner. They fell upon 
the guards in their fury, wrenched their 
muskets from their hands in many instances, and 
with clubbed guns cleared the camp of their in- 
famous oppressors. But the outside numbers 
were overwhelming. The Unionl prisoners who 
were not shot down and killed in the melee were 
overpowered, tied, shackled and so separated as 
to prevent any further concert of action. 

In the hand-to-hand fight I was knocked insen- 
sible by a heavy blow on the head — probably 
from a clubbed musket— and did not recover con- 
sciousness for several hours. When m}^ senses 
returned I found myself in the hold of a vessel, 
among old barrels and boxes and splashing around 
in bilge water. My feet were chained together, 
a pair of handcuffs fastening King and myself 
to each other, and I realized that I was sick, sore, 
wounded, feverish, faint and perishing for food 
and water. The place was quite dark, but the 
groans and cries for help which I could hear in 
various directions proved that King and myself 
were not alone in misfortune. It being too dark 
to recognize faces, I asked my comrade who he 
was. He replied: 



FROM PRISON TO PRISON. 21 

'^I am the fellow that hit that blasted Lieuten- 
ant Donnelly. ' ' 

' ' What is your name ! ' ' 

''Dick King," was the answer, "and your 
name ?' ' 

"Ralph Bates, the fellow that stood at your 
shoulder until knocked out himself." 

King had commenced calling me "Billy" at 
Salisbury, before learning my real name, and 
"Billy and Dick" we remained ever after to each 
other, and were mainly known by those names to 
the outside world v-dien the mournful history of 
our subsequent imprisonment, suifering and star- 
vation were brought to light. 

There in the dark, dismal, noisome hold of this 
vessel; bound hand and foot in rebel irons; 
bruised, bleeding and feverish from wounds re- 
ceived as Union prisoners from the vaunted 
chivalry of the (Confederate States; starving for 
the commonest supplies of food and water; there 
sprang into existence a friendship and love sur- 
passing love of woman. It endured unshaken 
through all the terril)le ordeals to which it was 
afterwards subjected in captivity; it animated 
and kept alive hopes and attempts at escape; it 
kept the feelile spark of life aglow in our flight 
through swamps and forests, and emerged 
stronger and purer than ever from "the jaws of 
death and the mouth of hell," so completely typi- 
fied by the Southern Confederate prisons. God 
bless my dear old comrade! Dick is first among 
my waking thoughts, and a benison upon his 
name shall be mv last articulation in death. 



22 BILLY AND DICK. 

"We shook hands in the darkness of our filthy 
prison, and in the presence of Almighty God, 
pledged that come weal, come woe, we would be 
absolutely true to each other; that we would 
never be separated nor surrender our remaining 
rights while alive, and that we would make com- 
mon cause against our oppressers till both should 
be free. Our promise was kept to the end. 



CHAPTER in. 



From Prison to Prison. 



w 



iHlLE in the hold we could hear the noise 
and commotion of many men tramping 
overhead, but our cries for assistance were 



either unheard or unheeded for Avhat seemed 
to us the greater part of the day. It 
seems that about 150 of the mutineers were 
put aboard this vessel to be shipped to 
Savannah, and that a few of the ringleaders and 
so-called desperadoes, including Dick and myself, 
were ironed and tumbled into the hold in the 
probable hope and expectation that we would die 
from our injuries, added to foul air and star- 
vation. But on running over the list of his pris- 
oners after his vessel was well under way, the 
captain discovered that several were missing. 
Inquiry brought out the fact that some wounded 
were dropped into the hold in irons and had not 
been looked after since. He thereupon came into 



FROM PRISON TO PRISON. 23 

the hold to make a personal examination. He was 
a humane man — a captain in the Fifty-fifth Ala- 
bama Infantry— and he was greatly shocked on 
discovering our pitiable condition. He plied us 
with many questions as to why we had been so 
mercilessly treated. Our feet and hands were 
terribly swollen by the irons, and our heads bat- 
tered and bloody. 

I made a clean breast of it and told him the 
whole story precisely as it occurred. 

"Well," said he, "this would not warrant such 
treatment as you have received." 

"But," we replied, "we have told you the 
whole truth, as you can learn from others, and 
you can see for yourself the condition we are in. ' ' 

He ordered us to be lifted on deck, knocked off 
our irons, gave us food and water, and made us 
fairly comfortable. During our four days' trip 
to Savannah on this boat, the guards were espe- 
cially abusive to us, and sought every pretext for 
taunting us with our imprisonment, and assuring 
us that we deserved to be drawn and quartered 
for coming down there to "steal their niggers". 
This was the universal stereotyped charge against 
us, and against all Union soldiers. The whole 
Northern army was pronounced nothing but a 
pack of ignorant, ill-mannered Yankee "nigger 
stealers" and "cotton thieves". Intelligence, 
education, chivalry and amenities of social life, 
which constitute the gentleman and the lady, 
they asserted to be wholly unknown in tli« North. 
A Northern man was a "mudsill," a Uniou sol- 
dier a "thief and a pirate." 



24 BILLY AND DICK. 

Tlie first night at Savannah three hundred of 
us were crowded together into a cellar, where we 
were so closely packed that we could not turn 
around without raising our arms above our heads, 
and when we were counted out the next morning 
we left thirty-six of our number who had died 
from suffocation. 

Two days ' rations of coarse cornmeal were dealt 
out to us, without meat, vegetables or anything 
else, and we were loaded into a railroad train and 
taken to Blackshear, the county seat of Pierce 
County, Georgia, a miserable little hamlet in the 
pine barrens, where we were confined in a small 
camp in company with over three hundred Union 
prisoners, mainly from the Eastern States. The 
Blackshear prison was completely commanded by 
military earthworks, with mounted cannon, and 
was guarded by seven hundred Confederate sol- 
diers. We remained here three days, when our 
little band was again returned to Savannah, under 
the pretext of being exchanged. Every time we 
were transported from one 'prison to another, it 
was. given out that we were to be exchanged. 
Continual disappointment had made us incredu- 
lous, but as we were actually headed for Savannah 
we finally consented to take a parole, binding us 
not to attempt to escape. We soon found this to 
be another piece of systematic deception adopted 
to keep us quiet and allow them to reduce the 
guards on the train. 

At Sayannah we were turned over to Lieutenant 
Irving. Davidson, of Kentucky, who was the first 
and only officer that gave us considerate, sympa- 



FROM PRISON TO PRISON. 25 

thetic treatment during the whole of our weary 
confinements in many Southern prisons. He 
treated us like Imman beings, respected our feel- 
ings and wishes, and supplied us with everything 
in his power to promote our comfort. His orders 
were to take us to Milen, and he supplied us with 
an abundance of bread, meat and vegetables for 
the trip. 

Soon after leaving Savannah the train was 
sidetracked at a small station to wait for the east- 
bound passenger train. Here we were subjected 
to the utmost abuse and the jeers and howls of a 
mob that surrounded the train and threatened our 
lives. A lot of old Georgia ''crackers," with a 
sprinkling of boys and women, surrounded the 
cars for hours, declaring we ought to be hung, 
swearing we should never be taken away alive, 
and stood read}^ to shoot any of us who might 
venture to a freight car door for a breath of fresh 
air. It was the old charge of ' ' stealing their nig- 
gers," b}^ men whose families had never owned 
a slave through all the generations of African 
servitude, and who constantly prated of their only 
superiority to the negro — their color. 

Our train remained there about twenty hours. 
In the morning Lieutenant Davidson allowed us to 
get out of the car and walk about inside his guard 
line, and to cook and warm up some of our food. 
This greatly incensed the small crowd that still 
hovered around. They declared it a shame that 
we should be supplied with better food than they 
could obtain for themselves, and abused Lieuten- 
ant Davidson without stint. 



26 BILLY AND DICK. 

We reached Milen, a small station on the rail- 
road, formerly known as Camp Lawton, at night, 
and were turned over to Captain Barrett, post- 
commandant, by Lieutenant Davidson, whom we 
never saw afterward. 

This Captain Barrett was a red-headed, squint- 
eyed little fellow, belonging to some Georgia reg- 
iment, wonderfully puffed up with self-impor- 
tance, and insulting and tyrannical to those under 
his authority to a degree that is wholly inde- 
scribable. Language utterly fails to portray his 
meanness and cruelty to the helpless men in his 
power. 

Our squad were separated here and all but 
seven were sent on to Macon. We seven who 
remained in Milen were so sore and tired that 
we laid down together earlier that night and prob- 
ably slept sounder than usual because of our ex- 
hausted and worn-out condition. During the 
night some one stole all our extra rations, so gen- 
erously furnished by Lieutenant Davidson, and we 
found ourselves suddenly thrown on the tender 
mercies of the villain, Barrett. 

In the morning Corporal John Deming, of the 
Fourth Michigan Infantry, one of our number, vol- 
unteered to ask Captain Barrett for something to 
eat. He explained our situation as respectfully 
as he could — said our rations had been stolen 
while we slept— and asked for immediate relief. 

Captain Barrett flew into a great passion — 
swore he would not allow any blankety Yankee 
to come around him asking for extra rations- 
said he would issue them when we needed them 



FROM PRISON TO PRISON. 27 

^and ended his abuse by putting Deming in the 
chain gang ''for his impudence." This was the 
last we ever saw of poor Deming, As no pris- 
oners were sent away for some time he was un- 
doubtedly worked to death or killed in some 
attempt to escape from the chain gang. 

The number of Union prisoners then at Mileu 
was about eight hundred. All were called into 
line at one o'clock each day to be counted. Our 
squad was so weak none of us could stand long 
enough to end this procedure, but we sat down 
on the ground in our places. Barrett swore that 
the men who wouldn't stand in line till ordered 
to break ranks should have no rations,, so we re- 
ceived none till next day, making a fast of nearly 
fifty-six hours. By this time Dick's feet were so 
swollen that he was physically unable to stand 
the allotted time and was obliged to sit down. 
Knowing it to be a case of life and death, I man- 
aged to keep on m}^ feet long enough to draw my 
rations. These divided with Dick kept us botli 
alive. 

In the afternoon Captain Barrett came into the 
camp and questioned me, among others, as to 
rank, name, regiment and State. I answered 
him in the most gentlemanly terms possible, giv- 
ing all the information asked for. He then 
wanted to know if I ever expected to see my State 
again, and said in a very swaggering, insulting 
manner that if ever I got out of that camp I 
would be carried out crippled or dead. 

I reminded him that I was a prisoner of war 
and was entitled to treatment as such — that I was 



28 BILLY AND DICK. 

no dog to be insulted in that manner— as long as 
I behaved myself and obeyed his orders. 

He replied: "How dare you stand in my pres- 
ence and talk to me that way!" and fell upon me 
to give me a thorough pounding. He soon 
thought of a safer way to wreak his petty ven- 
geance on me, and ordering up a file of soldiers, 
had me bucked and gagged and set me on a stump 
for two hours. 

Old soldiers probably know what this means. 
For the benefit of those who do not I repeat: 
Bucking consists in tying the wrists together with 
a rope, making the man sit down with his knees 
drawn up close to his chin, between his arms, and 
then running a handspike over his arms and 
under his knees, leaving him powerless to move 
far or to extricate himself. Tlie cramped posi- 
tion is exceedingly painful at best, but when the 
rope is carelessly or tightly tied the hands swell 
and the torture becomes devilish. Men were 
usually gagged by tying a stick of wood in their 
mouth in such a way as to prevent speech. In 
addition to this punishment my rations were 
withheld for twent3"-four hours. 

In the morning, before I drew my rations, Cap- 
tain Barrett came along hunting some one to act as 
clerk. Stopping me, he said: 

"Here, you little Yank, you look pretty smart. 
I want \^ou to take the oath of allegiance to the 
Southern Confederacy, and come with me as a 
headquarters clerk." 

I replied: "Captain, so far as clerking is con- 
cerned, I would be glad to serve you, but taking 



AT ANDERSONVILLE. 29 

the oath of allegiance is another matter. This I 
can not do, and I never will do." 

"Well," said he, "we'll see about that. Before 
you get out of here you will be glad to be a clerk 
or anything else, and glad to take the oath. Do 
you hear met" 

"So help me God, I never will. I will die in 
this prison if I must, but no power on earth shall 
ever compel me to take an oath of allegiance to 
the rotten Southern Confederacy. My tongue is 
my own, and I will tear it out by the roots sooner 
than take this oath." 

With one of his devilish leers he passed on to 
the tent of some other unfortunate. 

That night two hundred conscript men came 
in. The next day, the sixth of my incarceration 
there, our little squad of six was counted out with 
these and sent on to Macon. There we camped 
in some woods in the outskirts of tlie city. In 
the morning the non-commissioned officers and 
privates, numbering about twenty-five Union 
men, were started to Andersonville, sixty miles 
distant. Before leaving, several Union officers 
and a chaplain informed us of our destination, 
and said: "You are going to the worst place in 
the Confederacy, but you must keep up your 
courage; be careful in speech, discreet in action, 
and constantly plan how to keep up your strength 
and your hope of deliverance, for the life of every 
man will depend upon this." The chaplain espe- 
cially exerted himself in our behalf, and we left 
him with tearful eves and thankful hearts. 



30 BILLY AND DICK. 

CHAPTER IV. 



At Andersonville. 



WHE ARRIVED at Andersonville after dark, 
February 11th, 1863. As soon as the train 
^____ halted, the long roll was beat at the fort, 
the guards turned out in full force, and we were 
escorted to General Winder's headquarters on the 
hill. Here all were searched and absolutely 
everything taken from us which the guards could 
find, except our scanty clothing. General Winder 
personally examined scores of prisoners, and 
made the search as severe as possible, looking 
into the men's mouths and hair in many instances, 
that nothing might escape him. Dick and I lost 
our cooking utensils, but I managed to hide a 
broken caseknife in the bottom of my pants 
which afterwards proved invaluable. 

From General Winder's headquarters we were 
marched past the post commissary, where each 
one received one pint of cornmeal and two ounces 
of bacon, and were told that this must last till 
the next evening. I then asked for my kettle to 
cook my mush. The commissary looked at me 
in astonishment for making such an unreasonable 
request, anc"! asked who I supposed was ruuning 
that encampment. He informed us politely that 
we wouldn't need such things very long — that 
we would starve to death, or die from homesick- 
ness, or be killed by the guards within a week. 

The older prisoners had become somewhat used 



AT ANDERSONVILLE. 31 

to such taunts and were not particularly affected 
by them, but many of the new prisoners and 
* ' tenderf eet " wilted at once and gave up their 
last chance for life through moping and despond- 
ency. 

Here we were put to work building a stockade. 
The prison entrance had double gates resembling 
a canal lock. About fifty at a time would march 
inside our outer gate. It would then be closed, 
the inner gate opened and that detachment taken 
inside. The stockade first surrounded about 
seven acres. The timber was cut twenty feet 
long and sunk in the ground five feet. 

General Winder was in command of the guard 
which marched us to the camp that night, and 
as we filed past him, remarked that ''the prisoner 
who ever got out of that place would be a lucky 
devil," and that he would come down next day 
and attend to our rations himself. The prison 
at this time probably did not contain above 
twelve hundred prisoners. As there was not 
much fighting in tlie spring of 1863, but few pris- 
oners were added to our number for awhile, so 
that our real privations and sufferings did not 
commence till sometime in May. We had coarse 
cornmeal, grain and cob ground together, all the 
time, with meat and vegetables occasionally, and 
could manage to sustain life. Our worst priva- 
tions at this time were lack of clothing, the loss 
of our cooking utensils and a scarcity of fuel for 
cooking our meal. Details were made daily who 
went to the woods under guard and brought in 
a day's supply of fuel. One stick of wood per 



32 BILLY AND DICK. 

day was the allowance for each mess. 

Our first meal in Andersonville was obtained 
by mixing some meal and water in an old cap 
which Dick had in some way acquired, and 
baking the mixture on a stone heated for that 
purpose. That night Dick was missing for 
awhile. In the morning I found on the ground 
between us one tin canteen and half of another 
one, which had been melted apart, and a large 
piece of sheet-iron. My inquiries were nipped in 
the bud. Dick bade me accept them thankfully 
and ask no questions. I took his advice and 
don't know to this day how he managed to obtain 
them. The next thing was to keep them. We 
fitted the sheet-iron in the ground and kept a thin 
layer of dirt and ashes over them. The canteen 
was changed in appearance under Dick's manipu- 
lations until identification was impossible. 

One morning Greneral Winder came into the en- 
closure, accompanied by a man whom we after- 
wards knew as Captain Wirz (both half intoxi- 
cated) and spent some time looking over the 
ground and planning some changes. We had 
learned to pay no attention to anything wdiich 
did not personally concern us,, as all our former 
complaints had ended in worsting our condition; 
but as Winder and Wirz passed about we would 
occasionally overhear some remarks. The com- 
mand was to be turned over to the latter, who 
was full of plans for reorganizing the camp, for 
issuing rations, and for maintaining discipline. 
''I soon brings 'em round," was W'irz's last re- 
mark as they passed beyond our hearing. 



AT ANDERSONVILLE. 33 

Tliis reorganization began at once. The pris- 
oners were divided into divisions of one hundred. 
A first and second sergeant were selected for each 
division, to whom all rations were delivered and 
by whom they were divided and issued to each 
man. Two roll calls were made daily. When 
Wirz was present at roll call all the prisoners 
were required to stand in line till ordered to break 
ranks, under penalty of forfeiting that day's ra- 
tions, precisely as Captain Barrett had done at 
Milen. 

By the last of March the food supply had 
grown visibly scarcer. A month later it was 
scanty, and in May we were facing actual star- 
vation. Increased supplies had not kept pace 
with the increased number of prisoners and 
guards. In April one thousand tents arrived. 
As the rainy season was fairly upon us there was 
pressing necessity for shelter. Through the 
winter we had huddled together in our dugouts 
and barely escaped perishing with cold. But 
now the cold rains filled our dugouts with water 
and left us no protection whatever. AVhen the 
tents were finally issued great favoritism was 
shown by those in authority and we were not long 
in discovering that Free Masons and Odd Fellows 
were first served. Further observation soon 
convinced us that the same distinction was made 
in issuing daily rations, and that the members of 
these two world-wide organizations received 
much greater attention and consideration than 
any of the others. To what extent such discrim- 
ination was justifiable I must leave others to 



,ii BILLY AND DICK. 

decide, but to the poor unfortunates who belonged 
to neither order, it seemed a refinement of merci- 
less cruelty. They felt that the ties of common 
humanity should have been wider than those of 
human organization. 

In April some prisoners from Vermont and 
Connecticut regiments were brought in. They 
were well clothed and comfortable. In passing 
our division the thoughtless wags among us 
raised the cry: "Fresh fish! Fresh fish!" The 
newcomers wanted to know how long we had been 
there. Dick replied: "Fully three weeks, and no 
new clothes yet. ' ' They realized the irony of his 
speech and said: "For God's sake, boys, give it 
to us straight. This matter is too serious for 
joking." 

We were silenced in an instant and a feeling 
of comradeship, mingled with pity for their in- 
experience, made us tenderly compassionate. 
They had been sent forward by our route — had 
been promised exchange from post to post— but 
had happily escaped the robbery of their clothing. 
When they realized fully that these promises of 
exchange were but a part of the Confederate plan 
of deception to get them to this hopeless place 
with the fewest possible guards and when by 
looking upon the hundreds of grimy, unkemi3t, 
naked and starving comrades all around them, 
they saw that it was only a question of time until 
they, too, would be reduced to the same miserable 
condition, hope sank to zero and the work of death 
began. That night we heard for hours the agoniz- 
ing cries of scores of men. The next dav Wil- 



ON THE CHAIN GANG. 35 

]iam Dilz and Amos Danebaiigh (both married 
men) of Company A, 32d New York Infantry, 
deliberately walked across the "dead line," pre- 
ferring death to the inevitable horrors which 
awaited them in sucli a place. Dick and I helped 
to bury them, managed to steal their blankets 
without detection, and thus learned their names 
and to what command they belonged. On our 
return from this burial party we discussed the 
situation with more seriousness than ever before. 
We had long since abandoned all hope of ex- 
change, but we did not expect liberation. Yet our 
reason convinced us that we must not sit down in 
idleness and despair. Our existence depended on 
mental and bodily exercise and the hope of escape. 
So we commenced a systematic visitation of all 
new arrivals; discussed all imaginable plans for 
getting away; roused the hypochondriacs and 
actually abused and provoked quarrels with 
some of the most gloomy for the sole purpose of 
awakening a spark of interest in their present 
lives. We soon found that this was good for 
them and greatly benefited ourselves. A com- 
mon interest sprang up and several schemes for 
tunneling and escaping were commenced, which 
might have been successful had not the ready 
spies and informers among us betrayed our plans 
to the authorities. When this discovery was 
made, Wirz tried to force us into confessing who 
were our leaders. Failing in this he cut our food 
down to a quarter ration of meal daily, to all alike 
for several days. An informer finally pointed 
out a Fourth Michigan man as one of the ring- 



36 BILLY AISTD DICK. 

leaders. He was promptly taken outside. We 
never saw him afterwards. His fate is unknown 
to this day. But this attempt to dig a tunnel 
caused the guards to be increased to two regi- 
ments of Georgia reserves, composed of old men 
and boys exempt from field service. The woods 
and country around Andersonville were regularly 
scoured and patrolled every day thereafter by a 
mounted man and a pack of bloodhounds. A 
heavy rain washed out part of the stockade one 
night and a few men escaped. Wirz claimed that 
we dug up the stockade and stopped our rations 
for three days. The "dead-line" was twenty- 
five feet inside the stockade marked by low posts 
with a single rail on top. The illiterate and 
vicious guards were ordered by Wirz to be more 
vigilant and to shoot down, without an instant's 
notice, any who passed it. At night they were 
not over scrupulous and would often fire on men 
who were far inside the line. 

In June two hundred prisoners came to us from 
the Greensborough and Salisbury prisons. These 
had all been stripped of their clothing at Savannah 
and like ourselves had not a vestige of anything 
excepting the shirt and pants they chanced to 
have on when the robbery began. The increased 
number of prisoners and the additional guards 
camped on the branch or creek above the prison 
polluted the water supply until the whole prison 
was threatened with extermination. Typhus and 
typhoid fevers prevailed, measles and small pox 
appeared and chronic stomach trouble was uni- 
versal. With no shelter, no clothes, no hospitals 



DEATH OF CHAPLAIN. 37 

and absolutely nothing but foul water and coarse 
meal for food until September the death rate be- 
came appalling. 

Among the new arrivals in June was Chaplain 
Saul Hathaway of an Indiana infantr}^ regiment. 
He had been in Belle Isle and Pemberton prisons at 
Eichmond and was sent away from there on the 
plea of being insane, but in reality to remove to 
a safer place such an irrepressible patriot. We 
had lost all knowledge of weeks and months and 
only occasionally knew when Sunday came. 
Hathaway came to our division and said he would 
preach next day, which he said was Sunday. The 
whole camp turned out to hear him. A sergeant 
came with a squad of men to see and hear what 
was said and done, and informed Hathaway that 
he might preach and pray provided there was no 
objectionable language used, but that singing 
would not be allowed. Hathaway replied that he 
would preach, pray and sing as long as the Lord 
gave him breath, and the whole Confederacy could 
not prevent it while he was alive. The meeting- 
was not dispersed. At its close Hathaway was 
marched to headquarters but was soon returned. 
He started around the next day, announced a 
prayer meeting for Wednesday night, and kept up 
regular services till his sickness and death. We 
arranged for celebrating the Fourth of July that 
year and had chosen Hathaway as the orator of 
the day. But he was taken violently ill on the 
second of the month and died on the eighth. 
He lay on his back in his dugout and sent 
for the boys and talked with and prayed 



as 



BILLY AND DICK. 



for them for days after lie was unable to 
stand on his feet. We could often hear 
him singing his favorite hymn: "Jesus, 
Lover of my Soul," and the still watches of the 
night were broken by his eloquent prayers, till the 
night before his release. He possessed a wonder- 
ful vitality, and his soul seemed literally wafted 
to heaven on one of his grand outbursts of hallelu- 
jahs. 

Just before his death an incident occurred 




Billy and Dick in the chain gang^ at Ajidersonville prison. 

which 1 can scarcely bring myself to narrate, and 
which ended most disastrously for me. A South- 
ern woman who was permitted to distribute 
"tracts" in the stockade, took offense at some 



HUNG BY THUMBS. 39 

expression in one of Hathaway 's prayers and de- 
liberately spit in his face. This act instantly 
aroused such a storm of indignation that the 
guards had to interfere to quell the disturbance. 
The conscripts and deserters threatened to 
trample the woman under foot. I led her to the 
gate and turned her over to the guard, informing 
liim of her conduct and the cause of the disturb- 
ance. The guard told her she could not come 
i]ito the prison again, when she turned around and 
spit in my face, and I knocked her down. As 
usual, Wirz tried to induce some one to turn in- 
former, and finally arrested about fifty of those 
present, including Dick and myself, and had us 
taken to tire fort, and afterwards put in the chain 
gang. While I was out at work during the day 
the woman went to Wirz and entered a complaint. 
On my return in the evening Wirz came into camp 
and asked who had struck the woman. 1 told him 
the whole story, when the guards interfered and 
told him I had done nothing to be shot for. Never- 
theless he had me released from the chain gang 
and marched off between a file of soldiers. Dick's 
parting salutation was: ''I don't know what they 
will do with you, Billy, but never surrender. Die 
game, if you must, old boy, but don't gratify the 
rascals by begging for your life." 

By Wirz' orders my thumbs were tied together 
with a cord, and I was entirely suspended by this 
cord, which ran up to a beam over the gateway in 
plain view of all the prisoners. The flesh was cut 
to the bone by my weight, but a feeling of numb- 
ness (or rather the absence of all feeling in mv 



40 



BILLY AND DICK. 



bands and arms) soon lessened the torture. My 
tongue swelled, my head throbbed almost to burst- 
ing, and my heart could scarcely do its work, 
Harris Wilson, Battery D, Second Pennsylvania 
Artillery, near by, asked what he could do for me. 




Billy Bates suspended by the thumbs at Andersonville prison. 

* ' AVater, ' ' was all the reply I could make. He got 
a piece of an old slop pan near the gate, put some 
water in it, and, standing on a box, held the pan 
to my lips while I took a few swallows. 

The guard yelled to Wilson: ''Stop that, you 
fool Yank, or you'll get killed for it!" Just then 
Wirz rode up and asked what Wilson had been 
doing. Wilson replied that he had only given Billy 
some water to drink. Wirz roared out: "You will 



TALKING BACK TO WIRZ. 41 

never give another man a drink," and fired five 
shots into him from his revolver, killing him 
instantly. I spoke up as well as I could and said: 
"For Grod's sake, if you shoot anyone, shoot me, 
and end this torture." "Shut up, you rascal, or 
I will," he replied. SulTering made me desperate 
and 1 answered: "You dare not shoot me. I shall 
live to see you hung before I die." Wirz jerked 
out his revolver — the guards yelled to him "bet- 
ter not shoot him now, ' ' but before any of his own 
men could stop him, by reason or force, he emp- 
tied his revolver at me, hitting me twice. One 
ball passed through the fleshy part of my left 
thigh and the other fractured a bone in the same 
leg, between the knee and ankle. I will say in 
extenuation of his murderous, cowardly attempt 
on my life,. if it be extenuation, that he was furi- 
ously drunk and simply acted out the part of a 
drunken beast and madman. A mol) gathered. 
The guards ran Wirz off for safety, and Simeon 
Chase, of the Thirteenth Ohio Infantry, cut me 
down and carried me to my division. 

I remained in our dugout without much atten- 
tion till Dick was released from the chain-gang. 
He undertook to get my rations for me — was not 
allowed to have any- — but divided his own with me 
for a few days. Dick thereafter took care of me 
and kept my wounds wet with cold water day and 
night, till the last of July. This cold water treat- 
ment kept down inflammation, and T was probably 
too thin in flesh to be in much danger from gan- 
grene. 

A rebel surgeon came to see me on the fourth 



42 BILLY AND DICK. 

day after I was shot. He said I was doing well — 
better than he expected — that there was no hos- 
pital room for me, and that I had better remain 
where I was — that Wirz or the guards would 
probably shoot me on sight — and on leaving po- 
litely advised me to be a little more careful in 
speech and actions, if I wished to enjoy the pleas- 
ures and privileges of old age. 

A few days after this AVirz came along, attend- 
ed by a guard. On seeing me he called out: "Well, 
you little Yank, I thought I had killed you." 
My blood was hot in an instant, and I yelled back 
as loud as I could that I was still alive and should 
never die ^.intil I had seen him hung. My saucy 
and very ihiprudent answer stung him to the 
quick, and he reached back as if to draw his re- 
volver, and before any one could interfere he shot 
me the third time, the ball passing through my 
left side just above the heart. As his own men 
rushed upon him to disarm him and remove him 
from the prison he asked me to take the oath of 
allegiance. I said I would not. He urged me re- 
peatedly to do so. I said I would die in prison 
first. He finally started off, saying, "I will bring. 
3^ou under my thumb yet. Do you hear me?" 
Dick yelled out: "That's the stuff, Billy; stay 
by him." 



DIGGING THE TUNNEL. 43 

CHAPTER V, 
Digging the Tunnel— Flight and Pursuit. 



i 



lURING THESE weeks and months of 
my confinement Dick and I perfected 
plans for digging a tnnnel of our 
own. We decided to take no one into our 
confidence. We had seen too much of 
that. Vie had for tools the piece of caseknife 
which I had smuggled into camp, a piece of hoop- 
iron which Dick had secured, and the large piece 
of sheet-iron previously mentioned. 

We commenced by digging a hole five feet deep 
under our sheet-iron in front of our dugout, 
where we cooked our meals, and then starting 
laterally towards the east side of the stockade, 
fifty-nine feet distant. The work had to be prose- 
cuted late at night and in the dark of the moon 
to prevent discovery. Many nights we had com- 
pany and could not work at all. The dirt taken 
out was carried in a piece of shirt-sleeve and 
dumped into the creek. The quantity was so 
small at any given time it attracted no attention. 
The tunnel was about eighteen by twenty-four 
inches — barely large enough to crawl through. 
It took us seven months and eight nights to com- 
plete this work. On reaching the stockade we 
found ourselves above the bottom of the timbers, 
so we had to commence way back and gradually 
-deepen it enough to get under them. Wlien we 



44 BILLY AND DICK. 

liad finally tunneled beyond the line of the prison 
wall, we called a halt and discussed for several 
nights all the details for our escape. As we were 
obliged to wait for the dark of the moon we had 
ample time to plan for every conceivable emer- 
gency. We resolved to keep together, trust in 
God, to never be taken alive; to strike for the 
swamps on the north and get into the water as 
soon as possible to evade the bloodhounds; to pur- 
sue our flight northward to the Union lines; to 
travel at night and conceal ourselves during the 
day; to depend on foraging for subsistence, and 
to trust no white man or woman till we were in- 
side the Union lines. 

During this period of waiting, the question of 
trying to take some of our comrades with us was 
argued between ourselves from every standpoint 
which came to our minds. The danger of betraj'^al 
by taking anyone into our confidence was upper- 
most in our thoughts. The danger of recapture, 
we decided, would be in proportion to the number 
who escaped. Our final conclusion was that we 
would quietly sound some of our acquaintances 
and learn who among them could be depended 
on for taking desperate chances, but not to trust 
any one just then with our secret. Our tunnel 
was examined nightly to see that all was in good 
order and undiscovered, and our friends selected 
and conversed with daily about the all-absorbing 
topic of escaping from the horrors of our impris- 
onment. Some were faint-hearted and despondent. 
Others believed so firmly in early exchanges that 
they did not care to make any doubtful attempts. 



DIGGING THE TUNNEL. 45 

Still others confessed themselves unable, by reason 
of age, wounds and general debility, to bear the 
inevitable strain and the hardships of such an 
undertaking. As the time approached we sifted 
out those whom we could trust, and the morning 
before we decided to put everything to the test 
of actual trial, we took 'these men into our entire 
confidence, told them about the completion of our 
tunnel and the details of escape which we had 
agreed upon. The courage of some of these failed 
them and they abandoned the undertaking. All 
offered to give us the last crumb of their -rations 
to help us on the way, but we co-uld not accept 
these generous offers, as we had no means of car- 
rying food. The time fixed for our attempt was 
the night of March 2d, 1864, lacking but a few 
days of thirteen months after we had been 
marched into this pen as prisoners of war. About 
eighty men crawled from their places to the vicin- 
ity of our dugout and lay quietly waiting our 
signal. Immediately after "taps" (about nine 
o'clock) I descended into the tunnel, followed by 
Dick, and crawled carefully to the other end where 
it emerged by the side of a stump. The work of 
breaking through the crust of earth left over the 
mouth of the tunnel to avoid discovery did not 
occupy many minutes, and we stepped forth into 
the free air of the outside world — free men as far 
as guards, muskets and manacles were concerned, 
but timid and shivering with cold and fear. As it 
had been previously agreed that all who got out- 
-side should try to escape in pairs, Dick and my- 
self did not wait for others, but clasped hands and 



46 BILLY AND DICK. 

skulked stealthily along the outside wall toward 
the northeast corner, till we came to the creek or 
slough in that direction, where we struck a wood 
road and followed it across a bridge that led 
directly into the timl)er. 

I digress here to mention that we did not then, 
and do not now, know just how many escaped that 
night, or whether more than one person beside 
ourselves actually succeeded in getting away. We 
had the names of over eighty prisoners whom we 
supposed might attempt to follow us, but we 
never heard of but one of these afterwards. This 
was a man named Gibbons, who ventured to a 
house the second day after his escape and became 
the hero of a strange romance. A wealthy widow 
was the owner of the place. She secreted him till 
pursuit was passed, and the friendship thus begun 
was consummated in marriage later on. Gibbons 
remained there long enough after the war to re- 
cover a handsome sum from the United States 
Government for the widow's slaves and to turn 
the plantation into cash, when he and his faithful 
wife moved to Canada, and afterwards to Adrian, 
Michigan, where they lived the last I knew of 
them. 

Our course through the timber was maintained 
by the knowledge of an established fact in wood- 
craft, namely, that the northern side of a tree can 
be readily known by the touch. The moss on the 
north side is sensibly heavier and softer, and no 
one need ever make a mistake who will give it 
close attention. We walked on rapidly but softly, 
speaking only in whispers, till morning, when we 



IN FREE AIR. 47 

struck a cedar swamp, and waded into it a long- 
distance, till we found a brushy tussock, on which 
we rested all day. We heard no alarm of our 
escape, no bay of hounds in pursuit and no sound 
of fife, drum or musket at the fort, which 
convinced us that we must have traveled 
many miles. AVe were first bewildered by 
our situation, then hunger began to tell upon 
us. But we talked all our plans over and 
over again, assured ourselves that recapture 
would be certain death, worked our will and reso- 
lution to succeed or die in the attempt to the 
highest possible pitch, uiitil we reached a height 
of mental and nervous intoxication which was 
actually phenomenal. Our thoughts turned home- 
ward, and we wondered if friends would recog- 
nize us, if our own people would know us, what 
the boys in our regiment would say if they could 
see us, and if we could get a furlough for home, 
should we ever get to our command. We were 
veritably intoxicated, and our minds ran riot on 
all subjects. 

"Billy, what will your girl say when she sees 
you. You look pretty tough." 

*'So far as looks go, Dick, you have no advan- 
tage of me. in that particular." 

We both laughed immoderately, like school 
boys on a picnic. 

"But I never asked you aliout your girl. Have 
you one, Dick?" 

His eyes fired u]): "Billy, why did I ever take to 
the saddle to fight for the country! Why do you 
suppose T am here in this miserable swamp, 



48 BILLY AND DICK. 

liimgry, cold and naked? Yes, Billy, the girl I 
left behind nie is at the bottom of it all. God bless 
the dear girls, Billy. We must and will see them. 
If they don't like our looks when we return, why 
(he paused a little in his speech) they can look in 
some other direction. ' ' 

Then the sense of hunger became dominant, 
subordinated at times by the sense of danger. 
"We must keep our eyes and ears open, Dick. We 
are not out of danger yet. Trouble is certainly 
ahead of us, we are so far from the Union lines. '^ 
"Shall we not look for a cornfield, Billy I' ^ 
"Better wait till it is a little darker, Dick." And 
thus wie passed that eventful day in that gloomy 
swamp— wet and shivering from rainfall and wad- 
ing, hungry^ — hungry as only starving men can be. 
The sun was nearly set when we made our way 
out of the swamp and commenced our search for 
something to eat. After wading through the water 
for nearly an hour we came out into a heavy pine 
forest with but little underbrush to impede our 
X^rogress. At the end of two or three hours ' rapid 
walking we struck a field of corn-shocks. Talk 
about not living on raw corn? We feasted! It 
warmed our blood and allayed the gnawing, 
wolfish hunger that was eating out our vitals. 
But danger beset us at once. We could scarcely 
restrain our appetites. But tearing ourselves 
away from such a blessed supply, and taking an 
ear of corn in each hand, we took a survey of our 
surroundings and started northward cheerfully 
until we came to another swamp, where we had a 
long argument whether to cross it or go around. 



ENTERING HABITATION. 49 

I insisted tliat if we adopted the policy of going 
around such obstacles we should never get through 
— that we must adhere closel}^ to a northward 
course, and then we would come out all right- 
that we must be near the Alabama line, and 
headed for Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga 
— and that when we got out of Greorgia we would 
be in comparative safety. 

"Well, Billy, you are the captain of this squad. 
You lead out and I will be at your heels," said 
brave and magnanimous Dick. At the fur- 
ther side of the swamp we came to a considerable 
stream of water which we crossed and struck 
through heavy timber again. But we were soon 
stopped by a noise ahead. Oh! how our hearts 
thumped. ' ' What in thunder is it ? " whispered 
Dick. My hand was on his mouth instantly. In 
a few seconds we heard the. same sounds again. 
It was only the snorting of some wild animal, as 
it went tearing through the brush. 

This, the second night of our pilgrimage, did 
not seem a long one, and we pushed ahead till the 
birds began to sing for daybreak. AVe began our 
lookout for food and soon came to a small field 
near the middle of which we found a large pile 
of sweet potatoes covered with vines and straw. 
Eating all we dared to and carrying away all we 
could we went into hiding for the second day." 
We slept soundly in the woods till awakened by 
pain in our overloaded stomachs. On starting for 
our third night's tramp we had to walk slowly 
and carefully till our feet and legs were limbered 
up. That night we had no disturbance and put 



50 BILLY AND DICK. 

many miles beliind us. Toward morning we laid 
up for the third day. We bathed our feet thor- 
oughly before dark and at Dick 's suggestion pro- 
vided ourselves with clubs for defense. That 
night we found a rail pen full of white corn in the 
husks, took a supply into the woods and rested 
while eating it, then walked on till the braying 
of mules and lowing of cattle admonished us of 
a|)proaeliing day and the necessity of another 
hiding place. Thus our third day of hiding 
passed quietly. We slept most of the time and 
ate some corn which we had carried along. To- 
ward night the rattling of a wagon startled us 
considerably but it soon passed out of hearing. 
That night we tried to count our steps to esti- 
mate the distance traveled but did not succeed. 
The fourth day we lay hidden in another swamp. 
The character of the country was changing; there 
were more farms and less timber. The fifth night 
was a gloomy one. There was not much conver- 
sation between us. We were nearly worn out. 
Dick said if he was back in prison he should hesi- 
tate about starting, with his present experience 
in the matter. We crossed a considerable stream, 
heard the roaring of a mill dam and towards 
morning the crowing of a rooster, which Dick de- 
clared was no Greorgia fowl. 

While hunting a good place for our fifth clay's 
lidding w^e were startled by the cry of a pack of 
bloodhounds behind us in the distance. Our hair 
fairly stood on end. There was no mistaking the 
sound, nor was there any hope of escape except 
in flight. We started on a brisk "double-quick" 



DICK'S DREAM. 51 

and kept it up a long time, across fields, through 
patches of woods, sometimes in sight of houses, 
cabins and people, but the latter either did not 
see us or did not care to join in the pursuit. We 
got away from the hounds and rested awhile, but 
fear drove us on all that day and night. As we 
crossed a main road on the sixth morning we 
barely escaped detection by plunging into a plmn 
thicket as a wagon rattled by. At every stop we 
could hear the hounds. "Billy, they're after us; 
we '11 have to go. ' ' And on we went. We finally 
came to a cedar swamp into which we went waist 
deep. The difficulty of getting out and away on 
the other side distressed us greatly. The hounds 
could not follow us into the swamp but we feared 
they would skirt it and catch us on the other side. 
But we were so near dead with fatigue and hun- 
ger that we decided to remain there till nearly 
daylight, when by taking advantage of Southern 
indolence, an early start would put us miles on 
our way before our pursuers would commence 
their day's work. 

That night Dick had a dream. On waking he 
said: "I'm all right, Billy, I shall get away." 

"How about me?" I asked. 

"You are all right, too, Billy." 

No persuasion could induce Dick to tell his 
dream. He feared it was too good to be true, but 
still stoutly persisted we should get away. And 
who shall say that dreaming or waking, "coming 
events do not ofttimes cast their shadows be- 
fore?" 

We emerged from tlie swam]) unobserved on the 



52 BILLY AND DICK. 

seventh morning and alternately walked and ran 
for our lives. We had reckoned rightly concern- 
ing our pursuers. They took a late start in the 
morning but the hounds must have soon struck 
our trail for soon after noon we heard them again. 
Poor Dick exclaimed : ^ ' We are in for another day, 
Billy, and nothing to eat," 

I replied: "For God's sake, Dick, don't speak 
of that. Remember your dream; make up your 
mind to get through." 

So we clasped hands and made all speed possi- 
ble. At every stop we could hear the bay of the 
hounds or sound of the horn. At length it was 
clear they were gaining on us and finally, from 
the crest of a hill over which we were passing, we 
caught our first sight of them in the distance. We 
could see that the hounds were tired, logy and 
slow, yet the chances were terribly against us. 
Dick fell down — by accident he stoutly declared 
— but I had to pound him and get him 
angry before he got on his feet again. We 
had by this time learned that we could 
outrun the hounds through thickets and un- 
derbrush; but unfortunately the woods here 
was too open to afford us much advantage. On 
running down a long slope we saw a river in the 
distance with bushy banks and shallow bottom 
and with rocks and boulders above the water 
everywhere so that the clogs could have easily 
crossed on them ; so we turned up stream and soon 
struck a bayou extending inland. As we neared 
the water we looked back and counted twenty- 
five bloodhounds and five horsemen in plain view. 



ESCAPING THE HOUNDS. 53 

' ' Billy, shall we turn back and give up ? " 
''No, Dick, never. If we do that we are dead 
men, sure. Let us get away if we oan." 

Beaching the bank of this bayou, we plunged in 
among the bushes and rotten logs and found it 
very deep and miry. We got behind a rotten log 
and holding to a snag on the under side, lay 
quietly with nothing but our faces out of the 
water. The hounds could not be forced into the 




Billy Bates and Dick King's final escape from the hounds. 

water. When the men came up they could see 
nothing of us, but rode up and down the bank 
some time looking in every direction for some 
sign of us. They finally decided that we had 
gotten clear over and gone ahead or that we had 



54 BILLY AND DICK. 

mired and drowned in its treacherous depths. 
We could hear this conversation distinctly, but 
never moved a muscle. This discussion ended in 
their resolving to go into camp for the night on 
the hill above the bayou and decide on further 
pursuit next morning. The hounds were exhaust- 
ed and could neither be coaxed nor whipped into 
further activity. We could catch glimpses of the 
treatment of the dogs and began to cherish a hope 
that our own endurance might triumph over that 
of the dumb brutes. 

After dark on this the eighth night of our 
flight, we crawled out, drank from what we after- 
wards learned to be the Chattahoochee River and 
debated how to get across it without loss of time. 
It ended in our trying to wade across, finding our- 
selves in swimming water and in my dragging 
Dick to the opposite bank by the hair of the head. 
We dropped in the mud on the opposite bank 
where we crawled out half drowned and utterly 
exhausted. We were truly passing through the 
deep waters — bodies worn out and perishing; 
hunger impelling us to madness, hope hovering 
to take her final flight, nothing but darkness 
ahead of us. 



RETURN OF HOUNDS. 55 



CHAPTER VI. 



At Aunt 'Liza's Cabin. 



E ROUSED ourselves at length stiff and 
sore, wild with hnnger and commenced 
abusing each other in our delirium. But 
we kept on our feet, walking mechanically, until 
our attention was arrested by a light ahead, in 
the middle of a small field. This we thought 
Avorst of all. We discussed the propriety of our 
recrossing the river to get away from human habi- 
tation. But the demand for food had become 
overpowering and we decided to risk an advance 
to this house. We went to the fence and stood 
awhile irresolute. We clambered over the fence, 
crawled near the door and listened for conversa- 
tion inside. But all was absolute silence. It was 
an okl log cabin in the middle of the patch, with- 
out outbuildings of any kind and the light within 
was the only evidence of any living creature ])eing 
on the premises, I rapped on the door faintly, in 
sheer desperation, when to our inexpressible joy 
the door was slowly opened by an elderly negro 
woman and no one else appeared to be in the 
cabin. She had a tin cup in her left hand on top 
of which was a saucer half filled with grease and 
a rag in this for a wick which constituted a prim- 
itive lamp quite common to negro quarters in the 
days of slavery. W^e only heard her joyous exclam- 
ation, "Lor' bless your soul, chillun; come right 



56 BILLY AND DICK. 

in; lioney, I'se kept over fifty of you;" when our 
overtaxed faculties gave way and we both fell in 
a dead faint, ending in sleep. 

I don't know how long I remained unconscious, 
but on waking from a sound sleep I was greatly 
bewildered. It was a seemingly long time before 
my mind could take up the thread of the past, 
down to my last recollection at the cabin door. 
But this did not explain my present situation. 
Here I was in darkness. How did I get there? 
Where was I? Just then the sound of a woman's 
voice singing overhead was plainly heard. Dick 
lay by my side still sound asleep. I whispered, 
'^Dick, wake up. You are as hot as a stove. It took 
some minutes to wake him up ; but when his 
senses were fairly alert, his eyes gleamed like 
those of a wild beast at bay. Dick finally whis- 
pered: "Why, Billy, what makes you stare at me 
■8ol Your eyes gleam like a mad tiger." We 
were both frightened, both desperate, both nerved 
to fight for our lives. 

"Billy, where are we! I am awfully hungry. 
I hear the hounds yet. ' ' 

"We are somewhere. Don't you remember the 
old colored woman. I guess she has hidden us 
in a cave or cellar. We shall have to wait and 
see what turns up." 

We did not wait long. A door slammed above; 
some one walked across the floor and our hearts 
commenced to flutter. We heard a woman talk- 
ing to some person for a few minutes. Then a 
wide puncheon was lifted from over our heads and 
the face of the old negro woman appeared through 



AUNT 'LIZA'S CABIN. 57 

the opening. Neither of us spoke to her. Very 
soon we saw the face of the old man, who was the 
first to speak. 

"Why, God bless yon, 'Liza, dem chillun is 
alive, shure's I'se born. Chillun, you's still livin', 
isn't you? 

"Now, jus' look here, Noah. What's I been 
praying for des fo'ty yea's! Now chillun, you's 
in my keer. God will help me to take keer of 
you. Does you hear me talking to you? Keep 
up your speerits, chillun. ' ' 

Our hearts were in our throats. We could say 
nothing and do nothing but sit with our arms 
around each other and cry. Noah was dispatched 
to see if the road was clear and soon reported all 
right. We were then told to climb out and have 
something to eat. 

"Why, bless us, what's we been doin. ' You, 
Noah, get in dar and help de chillun out. Wait a 
minute fust till I looks 'round." 

She started outdoors, surveyed the surround- 
ing premises, came back and helped Noah lift us 
up to the cabin floor. We had been hidden in a 
sweet potato hole under the cabin floor, in front of 
the fire-place, about six feet square and four deep, 
having been carried into the cabin and lowered 
into it by Aunt 'Liza and Noah, when we dropped 
at the door from exhaustion the night before. A 
loose puncheon in the cabin floor formed a sort of 
trap door and was the only entrance to the place. 

"Now, chillun, you must be mighty keerful; 
you's in an awful plight. Just mind me, I'se 
your mudder now. Here's a little hoe-cake, 



58 BILLY AND DICK. 

lioiiey. Just wait a minute. Let's see your 
tongue." Dick complied with the demand, when 
Aunt 'Liza said, "Noah, bring me the 'possum 
fat," and each of us were given a spoonful. 

Dick and I commenced looking at each other, 
but couldn't talk much. Our ravenous appetites 
had strangely and suddenly deserted us. Some- 
how we were so full we ate but little. Noah was 
kept outside on watch and Aunt 'Liza was so ex- 




Billy Bates and Dick King at Aunt 'Liza's cabin. 

cited we couldn't keep our eyes oif her, and this 
in turn frightened and excited us. When our 
scanty meal was ended, Aunt 'Liza ordered us 
into the hole under the floor with the parting 
admonition: "Now, chillun, jus' stay dar quiet 
till I finds out how you is." 



IN GOOD HANDS. 59 

AVe slept sound all day. When we waked up, a 
streak of light was shining through a crack in the 
floor and Aunt 'Liza's cheery voice soon sum- 
moned us to a supper of hoe-cake and potatoes. 
That night we ate ravenously, but Aunt 'Liza 
doled out our allowance of food and water and no 
l>ersuasion could get an additional crumb or sup. 
After supper we sat awhile by the fire and 
answered innumerable questions asked by Aunt 
'Liza and Noah — told them who we were, where 
we had been and all about our escape from Ander- 
sonville. Noah said we were forty miles south- 
west of Atlanta; four miles from Whitesbury, 
Coweta County, Georgia; thirty miles from the 
State line of Alabama; that it was the Chatta- 
hoochee Elver that we had just crossed, and that it 
was an awful ways to Tennessee. He had been to 
Chattanooga once to buy mules, but it took him 
a long time to go and come. Some rebel recruit- 
ing and conscription officer had been around a 
few days before and taken all the men out of the 
country. He was accompanied by a squad of 
soldiers and took many by force. They camped 
five nights before in a clearing by the river and 
started next morning for Atlanta. Her old mas- 
ter's two boys, mere lads who had never been 
away from the plantation before, were taken 
among others. "What kin dese little boys do? 
I tell you now, de Confederacy's gettin' mighty 
skeered. Dere's been a big fight up in Tennessee 
and de papers sav de Yanks got terril)lv whip- 
ped." 



60 BILLY AND DICK. 

' ' What den makes de Conf eds so skeered, ' ' said 
Aunt 'Liza. 

No master of logic could have reasoned better. 
We thanked God for her sturdy faith. 

"Aunty, where is your master!" 

"He's a colonel at Atlanta, and 'specks he'll be 
a gineral. ' ' 

' ' Can you get that paper you tell us about ? ' ' 

"Yes. Go 'way, don't tells me you 'uns can 
read 1 ' ' 

"Yes we can, Aunty. Get us the paper that 
tells about the fight." "^ 

So Noah was dispatched to the plantation to 
get some meal, charged with the mission of pur- 
loining or stealing the newspaper. He returned 
late in the afternoon with only a part of the news- 
paper. But this portion contained a war map 
showing the position of rebel troops, fortifica- 
tions and line of railroad from Bridgeport to 
Atlanta, which afterwards proved of great service 
to us on our way northward. 

"Aunty, how long have you lived here," said I. 

"Lor' bless you, chillun, I'se always lived 
here. ' ' 

"Are you a slave?" 

"No, I'se a free woman, and Noah's a free man. 
Ole massa had three hundred slaves and they'se 
all gone to make forts at Atlanta, but jus' de ole 
man and woman at de plantation. Dis lot is mine. 
I got my freedom and Noah's nussin' and doctor- 
in' de sick folks todder side de ribber. No 
Yankee soldiers has got here yit. Dem Unionists 
we was talkin' about was de men de Conf eds was 



RETURNING NORTH. 61 

himtin', 'cause dey 'spected dey's run away to de 
Union lines. De kurnel wanted 'em to go with, 
him, but dey wouldn't, Dey was goin' to de 
Yanks de fus chance dey got. When de captain 
was heah last week he hung two men on dat big 
tree you see down dar, 'cause dey wouldn't go to 
Atlanta but tried to run away. ' ' 

We remained at Aunt 'Liza's eight days. On 
the evening of the sixth day Dick and I were in 
the hole as usual when we heard horsemen ap- 
proaching. Aunt 'Liza warned us not to breathe. 
Jn a few minutes there was a "'hello" at the door. 
Noah answered the summons by asking who was 
there. 

''We want to see Aunt 'Liza." 

She hobbled to the door as if in great pain, 
saying, "Bress my soul, what you want? Doesn't 
ye know I'se powerful sick?" 

They were hunting a man who had escaped on 
the way to Atlanta, and wanted to know if any- 
body had been around the place. She declared no 
stranger had been around there since they hung 
the two men on the big tree. They rode away 
leaving strict orders that if she saw anyone pass- 
ing to send word to the plantation, where they 
expected to remain a couple of days. After they 
departed she cautioned Noah "'bout seein' too 
much. Folks wan't bleeged to see everything in 
the world for someone else, for if you does see 
something, you needn't know who 'tis. We has to 
take keer of dese chillun in de hole. Dey's our 
chillun; do you hear me, Noah!" 

As the captain rode away he said he would 



62 BILLY AND DICK. 

return next day and make further inquiries. This 
became alarming. Our chances for escaping un- 
observed were lessened by his stay in the neigh- 
borhood, and we were not allowed to come out of 
the hole that day. The captain rode by next day 
as lie promised, made some inquiries and passed 
on. Noah went to the plantation to spy out the 
land for us, and returned with the news that the 
caj^tain and his men had gone and that there was 
no longer any danger from that quarter. 



CHAPTER ^^TT. 



Challenged by a Union Sentinel. 



w 



E SPENT that day in planning our route 
of escape, for it was decided that we 
should start on our way that night. Aunt 
'Liza baked a large quantity of hoe-cakes and 
potatoes, and made a coarse sack for us 
to carry provisions, suspended by a rope like 
a haversack. She also made up a quan- 
tity of salve, composed of lard, rosin, red 
pepper, asafetida and catnip, for our feet, 
for the double purpose of relieving their 
soreness and for destroying the scent of the 
hounds, should we be again pursued by them. 
She declared its composition to be a secret known 
to only a few colored people in the whole section 
of the country, and pledged us solemnly to pre- 
serve her secret. She assured us that if our feet 



CHALLENGE BY SENTINEL. 63 

were occasionally anointed with new salve no 
lionncl could follow our trail, and that we would 
he al)Solultely free from that danger. We had no 
means of testing its efficacy in that particular. 
The good old soul loaded us down witli hoe-cakes 
and motherly advice. By the force of that divine 
law implanted in the souls of all human beings, 
which causes their love and providing care to go 
out in full measure toward every creature which 
is absolutely dependent upon them. Aunt 'Liza's 
maternal instinct had become her dominant pas- 
sion, and she would have gone to the stake or have 
been torn to pieces with red-hot pincers in defense 
of ''dese chillun," as dear to her at that time as 
her own flesh and blood. She parted from us in 
grief and tears — called us back many times for 
an additional word of warning, advice and bless- 
ing, and our last glimpse of her was in silhouette, 
as her bent form went into her cabin with its fire- 
light beyond her and the darkness of night envel- 
oping everything outside. 

When I think of the tender heart and royal soul 
of this poor, downtrodden black woman of the 
South, language fails to express how much I owe 
her. I should be an ingrate if I did not make con- 
fession, and in that future to which all are so 
rapidly tending, I know she will be among the 
glorified saints who come up through tril)ulation 
to stand in the presence of God. Dear old Aunty, 
farewell, farewell. 

Xoali went with us to the bridge across the 
river, piloted us safely into the woods beyond it, 
repeated his oft-told instructions as to roads and 



G4 BILLY AND DICK. 

routes, when he too had to shake hands and leave 
ns to pursue our wanderings alone toward the 
blessed land of freedom lying northward. The 
parting with Aunt 'Liza and Noah depressed us 
greatly. It severed the last link betwieen our- 
selves and our protectors, and I feel it no shame 
to say that Dick and I sat down and cried like 
children. But this did not last long. The excite- 
ment soon possessed us again and we started on 
rapidly. In pursuance of our old plan we lay in 
the woods and thickets by daylight, and traveled 
rapidly by night. We at first ate sparingly of 
our provisions, but as we found the character of 
the country rapidly changing for the better, and 
cornfields and potato patches more frequent, we 
indulged our appetites more and more. One day 
while in hiding we heard church bells ringing for 
the first time in over two years. That evening we 
saw a darke}^ trying to catch a mule in a pasture,, 
but decided not to trust him. At night there came 
a pouring rain, so we travelled all night along a 
main road, in the storm. We passed through a 
village without seeing a human being and the 
morning brought us in sight of mountains. We 
also found a pen of white corn and replenished 
our rations. On one occasion we were disturbed 
by dogs, but as they were only common country 
curs we were not greatly alarmed and soon passed 
out of their bailiwick. We camped in a huckle- 
berry swamp on a foot range of the mountains not 
far from Big Shanty, as we afterwards supposed^ 
and at night followed a railroad track till day- 



IN UNION CAMP. 65 

light. Walking over the ties was hard on our 
unshod feet. 

The next day while lying in the brush we saw 
one or two trains pass — ^the first we had seen since 
leaving Andersonville. Tlie next night's trail 
led through an agricultural country. Corn and 
sweet potatoes were plenty. We found some Irish 
potatoes dropped in furrows for planting and yet 
uncovered. Some of these paid tribute to our 
voracious appetites. That night we heard the 
booming of the cannon to the right, so we bore 
westward a trifle more and met with no hindrance 
of any kind. During the following day we fre- 
quently saw white people passing, and heard 
much noise and shooting to the' eastward. But we 
lay quiet nearly all day among the rocks and 
gulches. At night we pursued our way cautiously 
till nearly daylight, when increased noise and the 
braying of mules frightened us into hiding. It 
was clear we were in the "vicinity of an army, 
but whether tliej^ were friends or enemies we 
could not yet decide. 

Excitement ran high with us that day. If these 
were Union troops our hardships and dangers 
were nearly ended. But if, on the contrary, it was 
a Confederate army wo had run into a sack from 
which escape would be doubly difficult and 
dangerous. There was no course for us to pursue 
but that of masterly inactivity. We must watch 
and wait. 

That night we came to woods where the trees 
had all been felled. The ground was covered with 
chips and blocks and some hewed timber lay 



Ii6 BILLY AND DICK. 

around. Passing around this we came to an un- 
fenced cornfield with woods beyond. We pro- 
ceeded with great caution till brought to a stand- 
still by seeing a light ahead. We lay down for a 
time and discussed the probabilities in whispers. 
Our decision was to advance carefully towards the 
light and try to learn something by observation. 
So we crawled along between the old corn rows 
hugging the ground as closely as possible for 
quite a distance." In one of our advances we got 
on some dry cornstalks which snapped with a 
loud noise, and the word ''Halt!" rang on our 
ears like a clap of thunder. Vie were nearly 
stunned with fright and lay still as death for 
some minutes. On attempting to move again, 
the cornstalks began to crack, and again came 
the startling command, ' ' Halt ! " This time we 
])erceived a dark form in the distance and rightly 
concluded that we had crawled within range of 
some advanced picket. Was he friend or foe? 
We whispered a few words in our great extremity, 
decided we could do nothing better than to re- 
spond to his challenge. We might be able to 
discover what army he belonged to at a glance, 
and by making a dash in the dark might possibly 
escape if he proved to be an enemy. So we both 
rose to our feet. "Who comes there!" rang out 
again. We saw the glimmer of brass buttons on 
the sentry's clothing, l^ard the click of his 
musket as he brought it to a full cock, and with a 
feeling amounting almost to a certainty (based 
upon his speech and actions) that he belonged to 



GIVING UP, BUT SAFE. 67 

the Federal army, replied: *'A friend without 
the countersign." 

"Advance friend. Who are you?" 

We now recognized the uniform and replied, 
' ' We are Union prisoners escaped from Anderson- 
ville." 

The soldier, w^ho proved to be Simeon Collins, 
Company D, Seventh Illinois Infantry, called for 
the corporal of the guard, who came in a hurry 
with a squad of men. 

By this time nature had given way again. The 
sudden transition was too much for our poor, en- 
feebled bodies, and we tumbled down limp as 
babies. But strong hands took hold of us, strong 
arms were put under us, and we were speed- 
ily borne back to the campfire in the edge 
of the woods, which first attracted our atten- 
tion. Some hot coffee and a little hardtack soon 
revived us, and the questioning began and was 
kept up for two hours. Dick and I replied alter- 
nately as each became exhausted. 

We escaped from Andersonville on March 2d 
and this was March 28th, and we were near 
Bridgeport, Alabama, 



68 BILLY AND DICK. 

CHAPTER VIII. 



At General Sherman's Headquarters. 



[E REMAINED at the post all night. When 
the officer of the guard came around in the 
morning, he sent for an ambulance and took 
us to General McQuiston's headquarters, towards 
Stevenson. We desired to see General Sherman, so 
McQuiston sent us back to General Ruger's head- 
quarters, near Lookout Mountain, to whose com- 
mand the Seventh Illinois belonged. General Ruger 
detailed Collins to guard and transport us to Gen- 
eral Sherman, who was then near Cleveland Junc- 
tion on an inspection tour of his three army corps, 
extending from Huntsville to Knoxville. 

This intervening time seems like a dream. We 
were more dead than alive, from starvation and 
exposure, and could only lie still and eat and 
sleep. Food was given to us carefully and as 
much freedom from excitement secured as pos- 
sible under the circumstances. But the train made 
long and frequent stoppages and we were con- 
scious of a pressing and excited throng of officers 
and men hovering about us continually. They 
would stand and gaze at us awhile in dumb ex- 
citement, then burst into volleys of oaths and 
imprecations against the Southern Confederacy 
and the leaders in the rebellion, and pass on in 
tears to make place for the throngs which surged 
behind them. 

At Cleveland Junction we were taken by am- 



AT SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS. 69 

bulance to General Sherman's. As Collins, our 
guard, lifted me out of the ambulance, I saw the 
great Union General on a campstool in front of 
his tent. Campstools were brought out for us 
and we were placed in his presence, but seeing our 
weakness we were soon stretched on a. couple of 
cots. Then began the usual round of questions by 
General Sherman himself, in his peculiar, quick 
and nervous manner. Dick and I answered him 
as fully as possible and gave a detailed account 
of our capture, imprisonment and escape, down 
to our final appearance in front of General Euger 's 
pickets near Bridgeport, and after that Collins 
became our spokesman and told him of carrying us 
within the lines and bringing us to his headquar- 
ters by order of General McQuiston. 

I don't know how to describe General Sherman's 
appearance during the recital of our pitiful tale. 
He seemed in an abstracted mood at first, but as 
the narrative progressed he showed more interest 
and occasionally interrupted us by asking a ques- 
tion. Later on he leaned forward and listened 
intently and eagerly, as though he feared he 
should lose or forget some part of the story. 
Towards the close his face was flushed with ex- 
citement and anger, the veins on his forehead 
were swollen and his whole nervous organization 
was strung to its highest tension. 

The staff surgeon was directed to take us in 
charge and see that we had all needful medical 
attention. Everybody seemed to be crowding 
about, and officers from the surrounding vicinity 
oame swarming by scores to see for themselves 



70 BILLY AND DICK. 

tlie reality of Andersonville prison. But little 
was said for a few minutes, but the clenched 
fists and glassy eyes outran all speech, and occa- 
sionally the muttering would break into a 
tempest of execration. General Sherman was not 
ready to part with us yet. He walked into his tent 
for a few minutes, apart from every one else, as if 
collecting his thoughts 'before deciding what 
should be done with us, and presently came out 
where we were stretched on our cots, and began 
to talk very calmly, for him, in a soothing, reas- 
suring tone. 

"I'm glad you escaped, boys, glad you escaped. 
That's the kind of grit that brings men through. 
Don't think of giving up. Never say die. Don't 
you be alarmed; you shall be taken care of. The 
grit and nerve that has brought you thus far will 
see you clear through, easy enough, if you only 
resolve to live. 

He then asked if there was anything he could 
do for us. 

"I should like to live long enough to see Presi- 
dent Lincoln and then go home and die, ' ' was my 
answer. 

General Sherman caught at this remark as one 
that had been uppermost in own mind, and said 
c[uickly, ''You shall, you shall; Lincoln shall see 
you just as you are. Cheer up, boys; cheer up. 
You shall be sent to Washington. You shall see 
the President. And now I have a favor to ask of 
you. I want you to take especial care to tell your 
story to President Lincoln precisely as you told 
it to me. Don't try to study up something to say. 



AT SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS. 71 

Stiaiid lip before liim and don't be afraid. Talk 
to liim just as yon talked to me and tell him the 
plain story of yonr imprisonment, your starvation 
and your escape. Your condition and appearance 
will vouch for its truth; but I want it told from 
your own mouth, just as you told it to me — I will 
get at that hell-hole yet, and wlieii I do—" 

His whole frame dilated and his stature seemed 
increased by inches as he looked around on all 
assembled, and without another word strode 
away with the fiery impetus of some fabled god of 
antiquity. 

The surgeon advised that we be sent directl}^ 
home and used all the argument at his command. 
Our condition was such that mental excitement 
would kill us. Our diet for a long time must be 
beef tea, milk and the simplest forms of food, in 
small quantities. "We needed tender nursing. 
Our restoration must be conducted slowly or we 
would never recover. But General Sherman's 
mind was made up. Collins was detailed from 
Ids command, given written orders to take us 
under guard to Washington City and directed to 
present us in person to President Lincoln without 
the slightest change of clothing and as near in our 
then condition as was possible under the circum- 
stances. 

This was a great surprise to us. We had not 
expected so much attention from General Sher- 
man, nor such interest in our story. We were 
not fit to be presented to anyone except upon 
urgent necessitj^, much less to the President of the 
United States. We were rasfged, filthv, covered 



72 BILLY AND DICK. 

witli vermin, without hats, caps, shoes or a vestige 
of any kind of clothing except the rags remain- 
ing from the shirt and pants we had on when 
captured sixteen months before, and were now^ 
to -be sent to the President under guard, un- 
washed, uncombed, unclothed and covered with 
sores. 

As soon as the General left us, Dick commenced : 

''Billy, shall we ever get home?'* 

''We mustn't think of home, Dick, or well cer- 
tainly never get there alive. We must make up 
our minds to face the music." 

"Well, Billy, I think they might give us some- 
thing to eat. Just look at the goodies in that 
tent." 

"Yes, but the surgeon has given his orders, 
Dick. We must think of something else. We 
should certainly kill ourselves eating if we were 
turned loose in that tent." 

"Well, Billy, I guess we are in for it again. 
But I wish the boys wouldn't talk to us so much. 
I'm worn out, and want to hide myself awhile." 



CHAPTER IX. 



On to Washing-ton. 



i 



lUR GUAED soon returned with written 
orders and said he was ready to go. Gen- 

eral Sherman came and shook hands with 

us as we were leaving, telling us to keep up our 



ON TO WASHINGTON. 73 

courage, that everything possi])]e shouki ])e done 
for our comfort, and when we reached Washing- 
ton we could tell the President that liis army was 
headed for Andersonville and would never halt 
while that hell-hole was in existence. 

Our feet were so sore we could neither walk 
nor stand while waiting for the train, but the boys 
carried us aboard the cars and fixed us comfort- 
ably on boards laid across the backs of the seats. 
We slept soundly until wakened by the faithful 
Collins to receive our ration of beef tea. We 
greatly needed rest and desired to be alone; but 
the news spread that we were prisoners escaped 
from Andersonville and the crowd besieged us 
continually until Collins finally took the matter 
in hand and kept us as quiet as possible. 

A long, wearisome ride brought us to a station 
below Murfreesborough, where the train was side- 
tracked and lay all night expecting an attack from 
a gang of bushwhackers who had torn up the 
road. Our train was guarded by a detachment 
of soldiers and the doors were barricaded with 
bales of hay, some of the detachment lying on 
their arms while others occupied a small block 
house not far away. The next forenoon the bush- 
whackers drove in the Union pickets, rode up to 
the outskirts of the village and opened the attack. 
Finding the train well defended they soon with- 
drew to the hills, leaving four horses and eleven 
dead men behind. 

But little damage had been done the track and 
we reached headquarters safely that evening. 
Here a surgeon was called in to prescribe for us. 



74 BILLY AND DICK. 

He found us nearly helpless from stomach trouble. 
A cordial was givien us and an additional man de- 
tailed to assist Collins in getting us to Nashville. 

Arrived at Nashville we were very weak and 
became almost unconscious; but we realized that 
a quarrel was going on between our guard and a 
surgeon. The latter insisted on taking us to a 
hospital but Collins was not to lae interfered with, 
and procuring some extra blankets he made us 
l)eds on the floor of the depot until we were again 
taken aboard the train for Louisville. 

While in the depot a motherly old lady was con- 
stantly by our side. She was the first woman who 
had ministered to us since we parted from Aunt 
'Liza. She got a basin of water and wanted to 
wash our hands and faces but was informed that 
it was contrary to the orders of General Sherman. 
She was not allowed to do much for us but could 
not be prevented from freely speaking her mind 
about our condition. We learned that she was 
Mrs. Elizabeth Moore, of Preston, Fillmore 
County, Minnesota — that she had come to Nash- 
ville to nurse one of her sons who was in the 
hospital there — ^that he had died in her arms and 
she was now on her way home with his body— 
til at her husband had been killed at Corinth, and 
that her younger and only remaining son was in 
the army with Sherman. 

She said to us: "Boys, you may be sure George 
will never be taken alive. My last words to him 
were: 'George, never turn your back to the 
enemy.' He will come home to me yet." 

''Talk to me about loyalty, about blood," said 



ON TO WASHINGTON. 75 

Dick, in his admiration of this heroic woman, 
"she is not made' of the same clay as the woman 
who spit in the face of poor, starving, dying 
('haplain Hathaway. ' ' 

Mrs. Moore accompanied ns as far as Lonis- 
ville and was constant in her kind attentions, 
giving us our beef tea and medicine witii pre- 
scribed regularity. 

x\t Munfordsville, Kentucky, another surgeon, 
seeing our condition, insisted that we should be 
taken from the train for a day's rest, but Collins 
objected and we began to feel that we could 
stand the trip without delaying. Mrs. Moore 
took us in hand and asserted the prerogatives of 
a nurse and drove away all curious, idle ques- 
tioners. Sleep— beef tea — sleep again seemed 
hourly recurrences. 

At Munfordsville we met a trainload of ex- 
changed rebel prisoners from Rock Island on 
their way southward. They were healthy, fleshy 
and well clothed. Some of them wer© brought 
to see us, that they might realize the difference 
between the treatment at Northern and Southern 
prisons. They spoke out like men and cursed 
those who had treated us in such an inhuman man- 
ner, in hearty Southern fashion. 

At Louisville we were driven to the soldiers' 
home for accommodations for the night, but those 
in authority objected to receiving us in such an 
informal manner. Not to put too fine a point 
upon it, they thought we were too vermin-ridden 
to lodge within their dainty walls, and by far too 
filthy for their immaculate sheets. But Collins 



76 BILLY AND DICK. 

was armed for the fray and flaunted General 
Sherman's orders right and left, until he came 
out ahead, as usual. It ended in the superintend- 
ent carrying me to my room in his own arms. 
But the room was soon swarming with officers 
and privates anxious to hear from friends and 
relatives and but little rest was obtained that 
night. 

In the morning we were carried on board a 
steamer bound for Cincinnati. Mrs. Moore came 
aboard to say farewell and the good iidvice which 
she gave us would alone fill a fair-sized book. 
We parted from her with sincere regret. ''She 
hath done what she could" will be proclaimed by 
the recording angel at the resurrection of the 
quiclv and the dead. 

After being placed in as good quarters as could 
be found for us at that time, with extra blankets 
for beds, we sank down and tried to be contented 
with our lot. The cold, disagreeable weather be- 
gan to tell against us. Our minds had also been 
worked up to such a pitch by our parting with 
Mrs. Moore that we could" not settle do^vn to sleep. 
The good woman's face seemed as visible before 
our closed eyes as it ever did when they were 
open. Her kind words rang in our ears con- 
tinually until supplanted by the noise of the boat's 
machinery. 

The captain of the vessel soon came to see about 
our transportation and w^as referred to our guard. 
Collins told him that he wanted to keep us as 
quiet as possible. As the weather was fair he 
thought us about as comfortable hidden away in 



MANY FRIENDS. 77 

one corner of the deck as we would be anywhere 
else, but the captain seemed dissatisfied. He 
looked at ns in silence for a few minutes and 
walked away. But he soon returned and had 
Collins carry us into an elegant stateroom which 
he had hastily prepared for us by spreading a 
good bed on the floor. He was a very nervous 
man and could not bear to see us suffering from 
filth and vermin and sworn that neither General 
Sherman nor any other man should treat passen- 
gers so inhumanly while he was running that boat. 
He was determined to have us put into bathtubs, 
washed and barbered, and said we should be 
dressed in decent clothing if he had to give us his 
own right there. 

So Collins had to go over the whole ground 
agiiin and beg the captain not to compel a viola- 
tion of General Sherman's orders. The reason for 
transporting us in this condition to the President 
was a good and sufficient one. We were able to 
endure our journey in our present condition and 
one object lesson such as we afforded would do 
more to inflame the hearts of rulers and people 
and bring the war to a close than all the stump 
speeches that had been made since it commenced; 
Collins also paraded his orders from General 
Sherman until Captain Winters reluctantly con- 
sented to leave us as we were. 

Gentlemen and ladies also began to call at 
our stateroom to see us and talk with us. They 
were generally so well dressed and so stylish 
that we were greatly ashamed of ourselves and 
heartily wished they could be kept away. All 



78 BILLY AND DICK. 

asked the same questions, expressed the same 
opinions and wanted to have us washed and 
dressed. Collins was driven into constant ob- 
stinacy. 

"Billy," said Dick, "what makes people such 
fools? 'why can't they let us alone?" 

We were given an opiate and the crowds 
driven away, that we might obtain a little *sleep. 

Later on we talked over the situation as coolly 
as possible, and concluded to stand the racket 
if we possibly could. We began to pity Collins. 
He scarcely got any rest, day or night, and we 
were afraid he would break down before we got 
to the end of our journey. 

Another trouble had arisen to destroy Dick's 
peace of mind. He had learned that our probable 
route lay through Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 
"Billy, that's my home. How can we manage so 
that mother will not find us out? That point dis- 
tresses me terribly. If mother was to learn that 
I was on a passing train, Sherman's whole army 
could not get me through that town nor take me 
away from her again. What shall we do, Billy; 
what shall we do?" 

I suggested that we miglit take a lay off and go 
by another route. 

"But Billy, what's the use of taking us dirty, 
ragged fellows to President Lincoln? He won't 
so much as look at us. ' ' 

"Dick, don't talk that way. All we ever heard 
of Old Abe proved him to be a tender-hearted 
man. Sherman has some plan in sending us, and 
it will pay us to try to live it out. The only 



]N KIND HANDS. 79 

thing I am afraid of is that we shall break down 
and not be able to tell him our story as G^eneral 
Sherman directed. We must brace up, old fellow, 
and not be ashamed. It is not our fault that we 
are ragged and filthy. If we are sent in this con- 
dition people can see how the boys in Andersou- 
ville are clothed and fed. We can stand it awhile 
longer. We can represent the facts as they are, 
and if we talked about it to the day of our death 
we could never tell it all. We mustn't think of 
home yet. We'll get through Harrisburg some- 
how." 

We stayed twenty-four hours in the soldiers' 
home at Cincinnati. Collins secreted us as much 
as possible and we had a fair night's rest. In the 
morning we were driven to the depot and Collins 
soon had a bed prepared. But crowds collected to 
look, at us — wanted to know who we were, where 
we were going, and why we were allowed to re- 
main in such a horrible condition. Poor Collins' 
tribulations commenced anew. To show churlish- 
ness and refuse answers would insure his being 
pitched off the train with a broken head. So he 
had to tell his story for the hundredth time, but 
that would scarcely suffice. 

"Boys, what State are you from?" said a 
gentleman standing near me. 

"From Ohio, the best State in the Union," was 
my feel)le reply. 

"What, are you one of our boys!" 

' ' Yes, sir. I belong to Troop H, Ninth Cavalry. ' ' 

"My goodness, they are not taking you to 
AYashington in that plight, are they?" 



80 BILLY AND DICK. 

"Yes, sir," we replied, "by General Sherman's 
personal and positive orders." 

"Ah, yes, I begin to see it now, but by the 
Eternal, these boys must have some clothes. Are 
Ohio men such beggars as to allow an Ohio sol- 
dier boy to go in such rags as these? These boys 
shall be taken from the train before it starts. 
They shall be cleaned and clothed at my expense 
before the}" can go a mile further. Where's your 
home?" 

"Mansfield, Eichland County, Ohio. But, 
captain, please keep still for our sake, please do. 
We have to go. You can't help it. Sherman's 
orders must be obeyed and Collins is bound to 
enforce them. We are nearly tired to death. If 
you want to do anything for us, keep these people 
?iwaj, so they cannot talk us to death. That is 
all we ask of you." 

"Boys, it can't be helped. I must have answers 
to a few questions. I must know your names ; 
where you are from, and how you got away." 

"But hold on, captain, we don't want our folks 
to know we are coming home just yet." 

"Yes, but boys, you may never get home." 

' ' yes, we will. We 're not going to die on the 
way there, after all we have gone through. No, 
no." 

"Wait a minute, boys, I want to see a man in 
the back car. ' ' 

He returned in a few minutes with an elderly 
gentleman whom he introduced as Doctor George 
Ross, of Xenia, Ohio, telling him to see if we 
needed medical attention. 



TOO MANY FRIENDS. 81 

Doctor Ross looked at us a few minutes without 
saying a word. After an examination lie said we 
were living on excitement and must have rest. 

"Boys, I'll see you through. You must have 
extra care. You shall have it. It would be a 
shame for an Ohio boy to make this trip without 
a medical attendant, so I will go myself. You 
must have a little brandy and milk." 

The more the matter came to be understood 
the greater became the excitement, and it was with 
extreme difficulty that people could be prevented 
from taking forcible possession of us and putting 
us in better condition. 

At Xenia, the home of Doctor Ross, the crowd 
was immense, and the rush and press to "see the 
prisoners" and question us about Andersonville 
was overwhelming. Sufficient provisions to feed 
a company were showered upon us. The good 
ladies were "sure they could eat something," and 
were free with their complaints to the doctor 
because he had not telegraphed sooner, etc. We 
could make little or no reply, but lay quietly 
wondering when this parade and excitement 
would be over. 

"Billy," groaned honest Dick, "I wish all the 
cake and chicken were out of sight," and out of 
the window they went by the hands of Doctor 
Ross, and Collins was instructed not to allow an- 
other morsel of tempting food to be brought into 
the car under any circumstances. 

"Now, boys," said the good doctor, "it is time 
for more brandy and milk, that's what you need 
instead of pies and cakes. These dainties may be 



82 BILLY AND DICK. 

tempting when you see them, but it would be 
certain death to eat them." 

Dick thought if we could sleep all the way to 
AVashington it would be splendid. The doctor 
said we should sleep at the proper time. 

When the brakeman yelled out "London" I 
was greatly excited and dreaded recognition by 
some of my acquaintances. Crowds forced their 
way in with provisions, but were persuaded to 
file past without speaking to us on account of our 
weak condition. The platform was covered with 
excited men and women, with a heavy sprinkling 
of soldiers. As soon as we were fairly away from 
the depot the provisions which had been left 
followed the former lot through the car window, 
and another source of aggravation was removed. 
Dick begged the doctor to keep these things out 
of the car and he promised to do so if possible. 

At Columbus some old ladies were seated oppo- 
site us and kept up a running fire of questions. 
"Did you know so and so?" "Tell us about 
Andersonville." "How long were you there!" 
"Where are you going?" "Why were you sent 
in such a plight!" etc., etc., until the conductor 
interfered and removed them to other seats. 

A gentleman addressed Doctor Ross familiarly 
and asked who he had there. 

"I'm blest if I know. They are Ohio boys on 
their way to President Lincoln, by orders of Gen- 
eral Sherman. They have just escaped from An- 
dersonville. Look here, Ed," said the doctor as 
he raised the blanket and showed us to his friend. 

" I 'm afraid my boy is there, ' ' was all the reply 



PASSING HOME TOWN. S3 

he could make in husky tones, choking with tears 
and indignation. He put some money in our 
hands, saying that was the only way he could help 
us. '^0, yes, you must take it; you'll need it. If 
I could help you some other way I wouldn 't try to 
force the money upon you, but this is all I can 
do, and yoi"! must take it for the sake of my boy. 
0, if I could only know where he is." 

He shook hands tenderly on leaving the car and 
said: *'Boys, you mustn't give up the ship. Don't 
lose \'our grip. When your visit is ended come 
back to Zanesville and stay awhile with old Ed 
Stoneman. He'll take care of you in fine style." 

''Dick, that's what Ohio is made of," said I, "no 
bloodhounds to chase starving prisoners here. 
Tliese are the sort of people I like to meet, but 
I'd like to turn them loose on Andersonville for 
awhile." Dick laughed at the suggestion and re- 
marked: ''There'll be nothing for bloodhounds 
to live on when Sherman gets through with 
Georgia. ' ' 

"That's the kind of talk," said Doctor Eoss. 
"Just keep that up and you'll gain ten pounds a 
day. Why, you'll be wanting to go back to your 
regiments before you get out of Washington 
City." 

Dick didn't want any more cavalry service, but 
thought infantry was good enough for him. Beef 
tea — sleep — Zanesville — more beef tea — brandy 
and milk — more sleep — the constant rumbling 
and jolting of our train — opening and slamming 
of doors — crowds of questioners and answers by 
Doctor Eoss and Collins in dreamy succession. 



84 BILLY AND DICK. 

We passed through Wheeling, Pittsburg and Al- 
toona in a state of semi-consciousness, and before 
our arrival at Harrisburg, Doctor Ross kindly 
gave us an opiate that carried us far beyond the 
city in blissful ignorance of all surroundings, and 
Dick was thus spared the most dreaded episode 
of his journey. 



CHAPTER X. 



At the White House. 



|E ARRIVED at Washington about 6:30 A. 
M., April 28th, 1864. Collins left us in 
care of Doctor Ross at a sort of a sol- 
diers' home or hospital near the depot, and 
reported to President Lincoln immediately. 
He soon returned with orders to convey us 
to the White House at once. We were ac- 
cordingly loaded into an omnibus and driven 
under the famous portico at the main entrance 
to that historic building and carried into a recep- 
tion room on the first floor, where we remained an 
hour or more. The guard then beckoned to Collins 
and took him directly to the President by virtue 
of the orders which he bore from General Sher- 
man. 

He returned in a few minutes followed by Pres- 
ident Lincoln. The President came striding 
across the room, took each of us by the hand, 
saying, "Come along, boys; come along," and 



TIRED AND SLEEPY. 



85 



undertook to lead us into an adjoining room. 

Our feet had become so swollen and sore that 
we had scarcely borne our weight on them since 
leaving Cincinnati, but we did manage, by the aid 




Billy Bates and Dick King in the presence of Abraham Lincoln at the White 
Hojse. 

of Collins and Doctor Eoss, to liobble along to the 
next room. The effort, pain and excitement took 



86 BILLY AND DICK. 

away our speech for a minute. 

Mr. Lincoln wheeled a couple of fine tapes- 
tried chairs into position for us, but we de- 
murred to soiling them. He kindly pushed us 
down into them, saying, ''There is nothing in the 
"White House too good for my boys," and sat a 
moment looking at us with one hand on my head 
and thei other on Dick's shoulder. 

"Now, boys, tell me all about it. I want to hear 
your stor}^ General Sherman has asked for a 
patient hearing of all you have to say. So tell 
me all about it." 

We were still unable to speak. His considerate 
kindness broke us down. We burst into tears 
and were almost hysterical. Seeing our con- 
dition, the President continued in a kindly tone 
of voice, ''Don't break down now, boys. Cheer 
up and remember that you are almost home. We 
are all friends here, and I want you as friends of 
mine to do me a favor and tell me all you can 
about Andersonville. " 

Eecovering in a measure our self control, we 
began, and as we warmed up to the work we for- 
got the wounds, bruises, sores and filth of our 
starved, emaciated bodies— forgot for the time 
the horrors of imprisonment and the deadly 
perils of escape— forgot even that we were at 
the seat of our great nation, in sight of its 
magnificent capitol and in the presence of the 
greatest living ruler, and the noblest, grandest 
man on earth. 

We talked on and on with a perfect abandon. 



AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 87 

When one grew too weak for speech the other 
continued the tale. 

The President listened with close attention and 
until we finished our long and rambling story, 
and rarely interrupted us by a word or a ques- 
tion. 

When we had finished he turned to Dick and 
asked whose son he was. Dick replied that his 
father was dead, was killed at Fort Donelson, but 
his mother was Mary King of Harrisburg, Penn- 
sylvania. The President took his full name, com- 
pany, regiment and State. Having noted these 
down, he turned to me, saying: 

"Who are you, my boy?" 

I replied that I was a son of Calvin Bates, of 
Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio— Ralph Bates 
by name, and belonged to Troop H, Ninth Ohio 
Cavalry. 

A gentleman present stepped in front of me and 
asked sharply: "What was that you said, boy?" 
His quick manner startled me, but I repeated 
that I was the son of Calvin Bates, of Richland 
County, Ohio, and that I knew him perfectly well 
— that he was General Sam Cary, of Cincinnati, 
Ohio, and that I had sat on his knee dozens of 
times in my father's house. 

Mr. Lincoln looked nervously towards him and 
asked : 

' ' Cary, do you know this boy 's father ? ' ' 

"Know his father? Know that boy's father? 
Indeed I do. He is doing as much or more than 
any man in the State of Ohio towards supplying 
the army and putting down the rebellion." 



88 BILLY AND DICK. 

The President sprang to his feet and started 
toward the door, saying, ' ' My God, when will this 
accursed thing end?" 

He and General Gary excused themselves for a 
few minutes, as I afterwards learned, to transmit 
the following telegram to my father: 



Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C., 

April 28, 1864. 
Galvin Bates, Mansfield, Ohio* 

Your son, Ealph Bates, of Troop H, Ninth Ohio 
Cavalry, has made his escape from Andersonville 
prison. He is in my care. I will send him home. 
Don 't let him die. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 

President. 



He returned in a few minutes and said: "Now, 
boys, just keep quiet; we will soon have your 
affairs all right," and commenced to question us 
anew. 

"Did the guards take good care of you? Who 
is the other man you have alluded to, boys!" 

Collins replied that it was Doctor Ross, of 
Xenia, Ohio, who came with us at his own ex- 
pense. 

"Where is he! Bring him in immediately." 

He then questioned Doctor Ross closely con- 
cerning our condition when he first saw us at 
Cincinnati, and finally, turning to Collins, ordered 



WITH THE PRESIDENT. 89 

liim to have us washed and supplied with suitable 
clothing and returned at once to the White House. 

While Collins was securing a carriage the 
President and General Gary were walking about 
the room talking in undertones. 

On our return to the hospital we were taken 
to the bathroom and stripped of our rags, when 
the work of cleaning up began. We were rubbed, 
scrubbed, scraped and doused until we could 
endure it no longer, and our hair and beards were 
shingled as close to the skin as possible. Brandy 
was administered once or tiwce to strengthen us 
for the ordeal, but it came near being too much 
for us in spite of all. We actually collapsed until 
the doctor was alarmed. 

A free use of stimulants rallied us for a time 
and the work of donning new suits of blue com- 
menced. Our new clothes hung on us like the 
covering of a scarecrow. 

Our novel appearance at once aroused Dick's 
vein of humor and he remarked: "Collins, you 
are the most extravagant man I ever saw." 

"Why so? "asked Collins. 

"Don't you see we could just as well both be 
put into one suit and thus be more economical?" 

After this transformation we were re-conveyed 
to the White House and put to bed. 

The President came in to see us, and finding us 
in bed, limp, wBite and speechless, said: 

"Has it come to this? Never mind, you will 
soon be walking about." 

Just then a lady came into the room, when Mr. 
Lincoln turned to us and said: 



90 BILLY AND DICK. 

"Boys, this is the other half of this adminis- 
tration." He seemed to be in a jovial mood, 
made a number of humorous remarks and told 
stories to provoke our sense of mirth, and gave 
us several pretty severe pinches, as he said, "Just 
to see if there was a pinch of flesh on either of 
us." 

Mrs. Lincoln was for giving us "something 
good to eat," but Doctor Ross forbade it per- 
emptorily. 

Mr. Lincoln said Doctor Ross was medical 
director of that department and must be obeyed 
accordingly. We were then left alone for a much 
needed sleep. 

On waking Doctor Ross took us to another 
room to be weighed. Here we found President 
Lincoln, General Gary and several other gentle- 
men assembled to witness this operation and cer- 
tify to its correctness. Mr. Lincoln was weigh- 
master and directed Dick to be put on the scales. 
He seemed to distrust his own senses the first 
time and had him put on again to be sure he was 
right. 

"Gary, this man weighs sixty-four and a half 
pounds." 

I was next put on the scales, when he called out : 
' ' Gary, this one weighs only fifty-nine and three- 
fourths pounds." 

The President returned with us to our bedroom 
and sat some time, asking additional questions 
about Andersonville, as they occurred to him. 
As I answered carefully I observed that General 
Gary was taking notes of all that was said. On 



STARTING HOMEWARD. 91 

leaving the room with General Gary the President 
remarked: "I hope you will rest tonight. I will 
send you home as soon as it is safe for you to 
travel. ' ' 

The next day was one of glorious, unbroken 
rest. Visitors were excluded. 

The following morning we were carried into 
a large dining-room and propped up in chairs in 
front of the table, when President Lincoln came 
in and seated himself between us. Our breakfast 
consisted of beef tea and boiled milk; there was 
nothing else in sight on the table. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Arrival at Home. 



rrnPTER BREAKFAST the President had an- 
I A I o^^^^ interview with Collins, but we could 
U *-l not hear the conversation. Another day 
and night passed without interruption. On the 
following morning we were much improved. On 
the eleventh morning President Lincoln came to 
the room to say goodbye and told us to be of good 
cheer for we were to start for home that day. We 
tried to thank him for his kindness but did not 
succeed very well in words, but he assured us 
we need not be anxious about that. Collins was to 
see Dick safe home at Harrisburg, and two Ver- 
mont soldiers just out of the convalescent hos- 
pital were detailed to take me to Mansfield. 



92 BILLY AND DICK. 

Taking our last farewell of President Lincoln 
we started for the depot, steamed out from the 
shadow of the Goddess of Liberty on the dome of 
the capitol, and felt for the first time that we 
Avere indeed on the way home. Every possible 
aiTangement seems to have been made for our 
comfort, by direction of the President. "VVe learned 
from Collins that he had been given a furlough of 
sixty days. He intended visiting friends in Pitts- 
burg for a day or two and then proceed to his 
home in Moline, Illinois, at which place he desired 
letters sent him occasionally informing him how 
we were getting on, etc. Doctor Boss determined to 
accompany me to Mansfield after leaving Dick in 
Harrisburg. 

The thought of separation depressed Dick and 
myself greatly, but it was not until the train 
actually stopped at Harrisburg and Doctor Eoss 
took Dick in his arms to carry him from the car 
that we fully realized how dear we had become to 
each other. 

Mrs. King stood waiting on the platform and in 
a moment there was a rush, and I could hear her 
thanking God and invoking His blessing on all 
who had befriended her boy. The doctor put 
Dick into a cab and returned with Mrs. King, who 
insisted on seeing me. 

"I have prayed, and prayed for you both, now I 
am entirely satisfied. Goodbye, me boy, and may 
Ood save ye and bless ye always^" was the last I 
heard as the train moved away. 

Doctor Eoss sat by me for awhile, but neither 
he nor Collins could fill Dick's place, and my grief 



ARRIVAL AT HOME. 93 

and excitement became so great that the doctor 
administered an opiate. 

The next morning we parted with Collins at 
Pittsburg and soon crossed the line into Ohio. I 
had a morbid dread of meeting old acquaintances 
and as I rode on from station to station I was con- 
stantly looking around to see if any one knew me. 
But fortunately we passed through Alliance and 
other places where I had many friends without 
any painful recognitions. Canton and Wooster 
were called out, but the stations seemed to be a 
thousand miles apart. 

At last we pulled into Mansfield, just after dark, 
and by arrangement with Doctor Ross I was hasti- 
ly taken from the car on the opposite side from the 
platform, put into a carriage unobserved and 
driven to the Wilder House, where I hoped to hide 
aAvay from the crowd until my people could be 
notified of my arrival. 

As I was carried into the private entrance the 
landlady inquired: "Who is there?" 

Doctor Eoss replied, "A sick soldier. Please 
keep very quiet but give us a comfortable bed 
immediately. ' ' 

But she was expecting my arrival and knew me 
at sight. When I was comfortably in bed she 
called to her husband. He wanted to know what 
was the matter. 

"Nothing. But come here," and as he entered 
the room she said: "See Cal.'s boy." 

Mr. Crosby stood gazing at me awhile in dumb 
astonishment, deliberately took off his coat and 
vest and hung them up on a peg in the same room, 



94 BILLY AND DICK. 

rolled his shirt sleeves above his elbow, as though 
these combined operations in some way gave vent 
to his feelings, and marched away in search of my 
father. 

He found him in the crowd inquiring and looking 
for me. The two came into the room together 
and my father stood looking at me for a few 
minutes without attempting to speak, when he 
turned away suddenly and commenced stripping 
off his clothes like a prize fighter, precisely as Mr. 
Crosby had done. 

The two men started out together. My presence 
was restraining upon them — the walls of a house, 
— a suffocating confinement. They sought the free 
open air of the streets and commons of Mansfield 
before either could give vent to his emotions. 
Citizens assembled by hundreds and followed 
them about, sympathized and condoled or cursed 
and swore, as their varying moods impelled them, 
and a carnival by Bedlamites never half equalled 
the extravagance of that quiet inland city that 
night. 

But while Mr. Crosby was hunting my father, 
his wife was on her way for my mother. I had 
always dreaded this meeting, expecting a scene. 
I was too weak to repress my own feelings and 
expected my mother to break down altogether. 

How different was the reality. She came into 
the room in a matter of fact sort of way, as though 
she had only parted from me half an hour before, 
and without staring me out of countenance, as so 
many did, said as composedly as could be: 

"Why. Ralph, you look better than I expected," 



DICK AT HOME. 95 

as she tenderly arranged my clothing. Unrolling 
a package in her hand she tied on a large apron 
and said she Avould soon have me well again and 
out of that. Only that and nothing more. Not 
a word, a start, a scream or hysterical fainting 
fit; not even a tear, lest the nerves of her boy 
might be shaken thereby and his recovery delayed 
or endangered. 

0, the mother love — the mother love — God for- 
ever bless and hallow it in high and low! Her 
dear eyes had been drowned in tears through all 
the dreary months of my imprisonment, and full 
measure of her anguish was only known to her 
Maker. But her boy was returned to her arms, as 
she believed, in direct answer to her importunate 
prayers and supplications, and the springs of her 
heart were welling up with happiness and her cup 
of joy was filled to overflowing. 

I learned afterwards that President Lincoln's 
dispatch to my father was taken from the wire by 
an operator who did not know his address. Lieu- 
tenant Eose, of the 38th Ohio Infantry, was present 
and volunteered to deliver the message. He had 
just passed father and mother on their way to 
church and proceeded directly there. The telegram 
was handed to the minister in the pulpit, who an- 
nounced, "A dispatch for Calvin Bates." 

Father rose and said: ''Bead it." 

The minister undertook to do so, but broke 
down and couldn't speak. Lieutenant Rose then 
read it aloud. There was a moment's silence, 
when my mother rose from her seat and com- 
menced a circuit of the church pews, shaking 



96 BILLY AND DICK. 

hands in her excitement with every soul in the 
building. The rejoicing was general by this time 
and the after exercises were in the nature of a 
thanksgiving service over one who was lost but 
was found again, 

T was carried home from the hotel next day and 
my recovery was rapid from that date. In three 
weeks I could walk about the house and in eleven 
weeks reported to the provost marshal at Colum- 
bus for dut}^. 

By the direction of President Lincoln, Doctor 
Ross furnished me with the necessary medical 
certificates. I might have obtained a much longer 
furlough. My parents objected to my returning to 
the field at all. Governor Brough, of Ohio, offered 
me several home appointments and urged me to 
accept one. But my heart was with my comrades 
at the front and I was determined to return. As 
a last alternative Governor Brough, in response 
to my mother's request, ordered me to report to 
Governor Oliver P. Morton, of Indiana, by whom 
I was appointed Second Lieutenant in the 129th 
Eegiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. 

I joined my new command under fire on the 
slope of Kenesaw Mountain, during Sherman's 
celebrated advances on Atlanta, and remained 
with that regiment, commanded by Col. Charles 
Zolinger, until we reached Marietta. I was then 
ordered to report to General McQuiston, com- 
manding the Second Brigade, First Division, 
Twenty-third Army Corps, and served on his 
staff as an orderly until the end of the war. 

We participated in all subsequent operations 



AT HOME WITH MOTHER. 97 

against Atlanta; proceeded as far as Jonesboro; 
returned with General Thomas to the defense of 
Tennessee; were in the battles of Franklin and 
Nashville, went east with General Schofield; took 
boat from Alexandria in Virginia to assist in the 
capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina, and were 
transported thence to Moorehead City, Newbern 
and Kingston; shared the marching and fighting at 
Kingston, Goldborough, Kaleigh and Greens- 
borough, and witnessed the surrender of General 
Joe Johnston's army. 

From thence we marched to Charlotte, North 
Carolina, where we remained until mustered out 
of the service August 6, 1865. 

Dick and I were subsequently subpoenaed to 
give evidence on the trial of Captain Wirz by the 
United States Government, on the charge of mur- 
der, for his treatment of prisoners at Anderson- 
ville prison, and I kept to the letter, my promise 
made to him, by seeing him hung at Washington 
City, on the morning of November 10th, 1865. 



IN MEMORIAM 

of 

Ealph 0. Bates; 

Born June 29, IS-tT, in Mansfield, Ohio. 

Died Dec. 27, 1909, in Santa Cruz, California. 

(From Santa Cruz "Surf," Jan. 1, 1910.) 
Comrades of the local post of the Grand Army 



98 BILLY AND DICK. 

of the Eepublic buried December 28, 1909, in 
Santa Cruz, the body of a man, whose name 
and fame will be immortal, and when his- 
tory's final Scroll of Ages is unrolled, it will 
be seen how his life wrought more than he ever 
knew, or the men of his times perceived. 
While he lived it was not possible to detach 
his personality from the story. It was his 
own story. It is now the nation's heritage, 
and ought to become a standard work in every 
American library, and read in every American 
home. 



EICHAED KING: 

Born September 7, 1845, in Harrisburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

Died Oct. 9, 1890, in Vineland, New Jersey. 

(From Santa Cruz '^Sentinel," Jan. 2, 1910.) 
This past week has marked the death in Santa 
Cruz of Ralph Orr Bates, who has spent more than 
forty years lecturing to G. A. Rs. and churches 
and schools throughout the country. In the fall 
of 1867 he went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to col- 
lege, and in the spring of 1868 was called by Gen- 
eral Garfield from his school to give the first lec- 
ture, in the old gray stone church, on the south 
side of the square in Cleveland, Ohio. At the close 
of the lecture General Garfield stepped forward 
and pinned on ''Billy" seven gold medals, of the 



IN MEMORIAM. 



seven prisons he had passed through, and asked 
"Billy" to promise to spend his life telling that 
story to the coming generations, which "Billy" 
has done. 

While traveling the AVestern States, m the 
winter of 1893, Mr. Bates met 0. M. "Whitney of 
Tacoma, Washington. They became fast friends, 
and on April 3d of that year the latter joined 
"Billy" as his private secretary. They traveled 
the Northern and Central States, with the love of 
brother between them. 

Mr. Bates came to Santa Cruz three years ago, 
and only last May found where his friend and 
past secretary was, and in six weeks had Mr. 
Whitney with him, here in Santa Cruz, which was 
a soothing influence to Mr. Bates, to have the care 
of one he loved as a brother in his hours of suffer- 
ing. And Mr. Whitney rejoices that he had the 
opportunity to wait upon his comrade and friend 
in those last hours. 

While the two were traveling in the Central 
States thev met Kozella E. Middleton, whom Mr. 
Bates married Sept. 5, 1895, in Middletown, Indi- 
ana, who was a loving wife and faithful nurse. 



The End. 




RozELLA E. Bates in 1905 



^ INDEX ^' 



Testimonials Page 3 

Preface Page 5 

Introduction Page 6 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Billy and Dick in the Chain Gang Page 38 

Billy Suspended by the Thumbs Page 40 

A Race for Life Page 53 

At Aunt 'Liza's Cabin Page 58 

Billy and Dick at the White House Page 85 

CHAPTER I. 

ENLISTED AND A PRISONER— Mustered in— Scout- 
ing — On Picket Duty — Surprised and Captured — 
— Taken to Richmond, Va. — In Castle Thunder — 
At Libby Prison Page 9 

CHAPTER II. 

HARDSHIPS BEGIN— At Wilmington— Cornmeal and 
Spoiled Meat for Food — Robbed of Our Clothing — 
Richard King — Resisting Tyranny — Knocked Sense- 
less and Put in Irons — A Lasting Pledge Page 16 

CHAPTER in. 

FROM PRISON TO PRISON— In a Pitiable Condition 
— Packed Into a Dark Cellar and Dying From Suffo- 
cation — Georgia "Crackers" — A Heartless Tyrant.. Page 22 



CHAPTER IV. 

AT ANDERSONVILLE— Building the Stockade- 
More Privations — Captain Wirz — Fresh Arrivals — 
Appalling Mortality — Billy and Dick in tlie Chain 
Gang — Hung Up by the Thumbs — Shot by the In- 
human Wirz Page 30 

CHAPTER V. 

DIGGING A TUNNEL— Maturing Plans— The Tunnel 
Completed — The Departure — Hiding in Swamps — A 
Feast of Raw Corn^^Pursued by Bloodhounds — A 
Hairibreadth Escape Page 43 

CHAPTER VI. 

AT AUNT 'LIZA'S CABIN— Swimming the River— 
A Light Ahead — In Total Darkness — Aunt 'Liza's 
Hospitality Page 55 

CHAPTER VII. 

CHALLENGED BY A UNION SENTINEL— Farewell 
to Aunt 'Liza and Noah — Sounds of a Church Bell — 
Booming of Cannon — A Desperate Predicament — 
Halted— Within Union Lines Page 62 

CHAPTER VIII. 

AT GEN. SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS— More 
Dead Than Alive — The General Hears Our Story — 
His Indignation — The President Shall See You as 
You Are Page 68 

CHAPTER IX. 

ON TO WASHINGTON— Gen. Sherman's Parting 
Words — Collins Put in Charge — Train Attacked by 
Bushwhackers — A Heroic Woman — Some Confed- 
erate Prisoners, a Striking Contrast — Collins' Trials 
— Dr. Ross — Crowds Besiege the Train Page 72 



CHAPTER X. 

AT THE WHITE HOUSE— Received by the President 
— The Story Repeated — An Old Friend — A Wonder- 
ful Transformation — On the Scales — President Lin- 
coln's Kindness Page 84 

CHAPTER XL 

ARRIVAL AT HOME— Words of Cheer— Dick Meets 
His Mother — A Sad Parting — A Father's Reception 
— A Mother's Love — Recovered — Return to Ihe 
Front — Poor Dick Page 91 



my i4i9to 



I 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 




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